Mon, Feb 06, 2023
Foothold Into South America Could Bolster Efforts to Legitimize Hybrid C-208
Ampaire has received a letter of intent to upgrade up to 6 of Conecta’s Grand Caravans to Ampaire Eco Caravans.
Ampaire's Eco Caravan is based around their AMP-H570 hybrid-electric powertrain and battery pack. Conecta is Brazil's largest airline by passenger volume, despite operating as a regional under Azul Airlines. The switch to an Eco Caravan could be the spark Ampaire is looking for to unlock the wider South American market, and it comes at the right time to build hype in their conversions.
Ampaire finished its first flight of the Eco Caravan in November 2022, and since then went on to obtain a $9 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy. The money will go to prepare the Eco Caravan for upcoming certification and series production.
“We are thrilled to work with the visionary team at Azul Conecta,” said Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. “They are among a group of established air carriers ready to embrace a hybrid-electric solution, providing leadership for an entire industry.”
Conecta looked at the numbers and found the Ampaire product hard to beat. It takes a paid-for aircraft already in service and weds it to a cheaper propulsion system than its outgoing turboprop engine, all inside a known and familiar platform.
“After evaluating a range of technologies, including fully-electric and hydrogen fuel cells, we concluded that Ampaire moves us toward our ESG goals much sooner,” said Flavio Costa, Azul Conecta´s CEO. “Azul Conecta has innovation as a mission and sees the upgrade to the Eco Caravan as a major innovation that accelerates our path to sustainability, maintaining a safety standard in our operations, which is our first and non-negotiable value.”
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