World's largest electric airplane makes its first flight

The full-scale electric aircraft Heart X1 has completed its first test flight. Developer Heart Aerospace calls it the largest battery-electric aircraft ever to take to the skies.

The tests took place at the company's base at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York state. According to Der Standard, the first flight lasted 27 minutes. The demonstrator, weighing more than 11 tons, took to the air after a lengthy program of ground tests.

The Heart X1 is equipped with four wing-mounted electric motors and operates exclusively on battery power. The aircraft has a wingspan of about 32 meters and a fuselage length exceeding 23 meters. The test program includes flights at altitudes up to 610 meters and speeds around 204 km/h.

Before flight testing began, the X1 underwent structural, electric propulsion system, and onboard systems checks, as well as low- and high-speed taxi tests. In July, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued the aircraft a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category, permitting the start of test flights.

However, the X1 is not intended for passenger transport or series production. It is a full-scale technology demonstrator on which Heart Aerospace is testing solutions for the future ES-30 regional aircraft.

The ES-30 is designed for 30 passengers and will use a hybrid-electric propulsion system. The company claims a range of about 200 km on pure electric power and up to 800 km in hybrid mode. Battery recharging is expected to take about 30 minutes.

Heart Aerospace expects to receive type certification for the ES-30 in 2031. The developer sees such aircraft primarily as a replacement for traditional regional airliners on short routes where operating large jet aircraft is too costly for airlines.

The company was originally founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, but moved its headquarters to California in 2025 and concentrated development in the United States. United Airlines, Air Canada, and other major aviation market participants have previously been named among Heart Aerospace's investors and project customers.

Based on materials from: Heart Aerospace, Der Standard