Harbour Air, North America's largest seaplane airline, is to purchase 50 magni650 electric propulsion units (EPUs) to electrify its fleet, beginning with the De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver in 2026. The engines will also be used for third-party conversions.

"We are excited to accelerate the adoption of electric aviation technology and further our journey towards a sustainable future," says CEO Bert van der Stege. "The agreement with magniX underscores our commitment to revolutionise commercial aviation with electric propulsion and to pave the way for cleaner, quieter, and more efficient air travel."

This is a significant next step in the partnership between the operator and magniX, who in December 2019 made history when the eBeaver, a Harbour Air De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver retrofitted with a magniX electric engine, became the world's first fully electric commercial aircraft to take flight. To date, the prototype eBeaver has flown 78 flights in preparation for the certification of the aircraft.

magniX has powered historic flights by five different aircraft. Alongside the eBeaver, these include Eviation's all-electric commuter aircraft Alice, and the world's largest hydrogen-electric aircraft, Universal Hydrogen's retrofitted De Havilland Dash 8.

"Electrifying Harbour Air's fleet with magniX's engines sets us on a course to define the future of regional flight," says magniX chief technology officer Riona Armesmith. "The many flights that the eBeaver has now completed with magniX's technology demonstrate that the electric age of aviation is here, and bringing it to the marketplace is growing rapidly closer. As we mark Earth Day, we recognise the urgency of solutions such as this in answering the climate challenge."