ES-30

Heart unveiled the full-scale X1 demonstrator in 2024 and has shifted to an iterative X1/X2 development path with more in-house technology integration. X1 completed its piloted maiden flight on August 12, 2026 - the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. Heart's August 13 first-flight materials no longer describe a separate 2026 X2 hybrid flight; they say the first pre-production, type-conforming ES-30 is being built at the Torrance / Los Angeles Pilot Plant, with flight testing targeted to begin in 2028 ahead of a 2031 certification and entry-into-service target.

Passenger Capacity

30 seats

All-Electric Range

200 km (125 mi) with 30 pax

Hybrid Range

800 km (500 mi)

Runway Length

1,100 m

Charge Time

30 minutes

Type Certification Target

2031

Projected Operating Cost Reduction

40%+ vs. legacy regional aircraft

Announced next steps from Heart Aerospace that mention ES-30.

1. Sep 262026

   Heart unveils ES-36 and books JSX for up to 100 aircraft

   Heart Aerospace unveiled the ES-36, a 36-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner that becomes its production aircraft, evolving the earlier ES-30 with six more seats, 1,415 pounds more payload, a shorter 95-foot wingspan, and twin 1.65-megawatt series-hybrid powertrains. US public-charter carrier JSX converted its 2023 letter of intent into a deposit-backed purchase agreement for 50 ES-36s, with purchase rights for 50 more. Heart is building the first pre-production ES-36 at its Los Angeles plant, targeting first flight in the second half of 2028 and FAA Part 25 certification and entry into service in 2031.

   www.heartaerospace.com ↗www.aircraftinteriorsinternational.com ↗

2. Aug 312026

   Heart Aerospace completes first flight of X1 demonstrator

   Heart Aerospace flew its all-electric X1 demonstrator for the first time on August 12, 2026 at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York, under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate. The piloted 27-minute flight reached 1,100 feet and drew more than a megawatt from the battery-electric propulsion system, making X1 the largest electric aircraft ever flown. Heart says the milestone de-risks its planned 30-seat hybrid-electric ES-30 airliner, which has 250 aircraft orders plus 120 options and purchase rights from carriers including United and Air Canada.

   PR Newswire ↗Heart Aerospace ↗

3. Aug 132026

   Heart Aerospace flies X1, the largest electric aircraft yet

   Heart Aerospace's all-electric X1 demonstrator completed its first piloted flight on August 12 at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York, a 27-minute flight that reached 1,100 feet and drew over 1 megawatt of power from its propulsion system. At a 106-foot wingspan and more than 25,000 pounds takeoff weight, X1 became the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown, a milestone feeding into Heart's 30-seat ES-30 regional airliner program, which is targeting type certification in 2031.

   Heart Aerospace (PR Newswire) ↗Aerotime ↗

4. Aug 12026

   Heart Aerospace pushes ES-30 certification target to 2031

   Heart Aerospace revised its type-certification target for the 30-seat hybrid-electric ES-30 regional airliner to 2031, a delay from its prior 2028-2029 goal, the company said around July 29, 2026. The company's order book stands at $9.4 billion, including 100-aircraft commitments each from United Airlines and Mesa Air Group and 30 firm from Air Canada, and it points to the newly FAA-cleared X1 demonstrator as validating technology feeding into the ES-30 program.

   FLYING Magazine ↗

5. Jul 272026

   FAA clears Heart Aerospace X1, largest electric aircraft, to fly

   The FAA issued Heart Aerospace a Special Airworthiness Certificate in the experimental category on July 23, authorizing piloted flight testing of its X1 demonstrator at Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York. With a 106-foot wingspan and a takeoff weight above 25,000 pounds, the X1 becomes the largest electric aircraft ever cleared by the FAA for piloted flight. The demonstrator will validate the design and hybrid-electric technology behind Heart's planned ES-30 30-seat regional airliner, which carries an order book from customers including United, Air Canada and Mesa.

   Aviation Week ↗ASDNews ↗

• 

  In Development

  ES-36

  Heart's production 36-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner, evolved from the ES-30. Twin 1.65-megawatt series-hybrid powertrains, 125-mile all-electric range plus reserves, 745-mile hybrid range plus reserves, and a 95-foot wingspan. JSX signed a deposit-backed order for 50 aircraft with rights for 50 more. The first pre-production aircraft is being built in Los Angeles, with first flight targeted in the second half of 2028 and FAA Part 25 certification and entry into service in 2031.

  Passenger capacity

  36 seats

  All-electric range

  125 miles (200 km)

• 

  In Production

  737 MAX

  Boeing

  Boeing's current single-aisle aircraft family, spanning the 737-7 through 737-10, built around improved LEAP-1B engines, lower fuel burn, and broad commonality for airline operators.

  Passenger Capacity

  138–230

  Range

  3,100–3,800 nmi

• 

  In Production

  787 Dreamliner

  Boeing

  Wide-body long-haul twin-engine aircraft family built around composite structures, lower fuel burn, and route-opening flexibility for airlines.

  Passenger Capacity

  248–336

  Range

  6,330–7,565 nmi

• 

  In Development

  777X

  Boeing

  Next-generation wide-body twin-engine aircraft and the world's largest twin-engine jetliner, featuring folding wingtips, composite wings, and GE9X engines.

  Passenger Capacity

  350–450

  Range

  8,000–9,500 nmi

• 

  In Development

  CST-100 Starliner

  Boeing

  Boeing's crew capsule for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, built to ferry astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station under a $4.2B NASA award (alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon).

  NASA Contract Value

  $4.2B

  Committed Crewed Missions

  4 firm