airBaltic to Expand Training Fleet With All-Electric eD40

Diamond Aircraft eDA40 [Courtesy: Diamond Aircraft]

Diamond Aircraft and airBaltic have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to deliver three electric aircraft to airBaltic's pilot training academy.

According to Diamond, airBaltic Training, a subsidiary of Latvian airline airBaltic, will take possession of three all-electric eD40s and two DA42-VIs. That will give the academy a total of 15 airframes for its clients to utilize.

“The upcoming arrival of these innovative aircraft is a significant milestone in our mission to provide top-tier, sustainable training for future pilots," said Pauls Cālītis, chief operations officer of airBaltic. "We are dedicated to expanding our fleet with cutting-edge technology to meet the growing demand for highly skilled aviation professionals.

Deliveries will be made to airBaltic Pilot Academy by 2030, Cālītis said.

Anton Chirkovski (head of civil aircraft sales, Diamond Aircraft Austria), Vilmantas Vaclovas Mažonas (SVP flight operations, airBaltic), Jane Wang (sales director, Diamond Aircraft Austria) and Kristaps Lapsa (general manager, airBaltic Training) at the signing at Baltic International Airshow. [Courtesy: airBaltic Training]

READ MORE: We Fly: Diamond DA62

The investment underscores the flight school's commitment to embracing cutting-edge technology and sustainability in flight training, said Jane Wang, sales director of Diamond Aircraft Austria.

“We look forward to continuing our strong partnership and supporting their growth in the years to come,” Wang said.

About the eDA40

According to Diamond, the eDA40 will be the first European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)/FAA-certified electric airplane in its category, marking a major step toward zero-emission flight training. It uses advanced electric motors with over 94 percent efficiency and a dual winding/controller for better reliability and safety. Its all-electric design ensures zero emissions and lower noise levels, making it perfect for eco-friendly pilot training.

The eDA40 features a dual string battery system and a charging system that can recharge the aircraft in 20-30 minutes, according to the company.

Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.