Regional air cargo carrier Alpine Air Express is to purchase of up to 75 ERA hybrid-electric regional transport aircraft from Aura Aero, that are due to enter into service before 2030.

In June 2023, the two companies signed an MoU committing their cooperation on the FAA certification of ERA in the US, on the operations and customer support services of ERA aircraft and on the development of a configuration compliant with Alpine's specific needs.

Based in Provo, Utah, Alpine Air Express operates more than 100 daily regional flights across the US, transporting freight and packages for major freight delivery companies such as UPS, Amazon and United States Postal Services, offering last mile delivery. Currently operating a fleet of over 80 aircraft, Alpine intends to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the ERA to decarbonise its operations in the coming years while operating a more efficient aircraft.

The ERA is a versatile aircraft which, thanks to its wide, full opening cargo door and well matched combination of volume and payload, offers a very competitive range of possibilities for regional air freight operators, reducing maintenance and energy costs by more than 50 per cent per ton of revenue cargo, when compared to older aircraft of the same category.

The ERA cargo aircraft combines advanced green technology with operational efficiency and as the aviation industry continues to prioritise sustainability and cost-effectiveness, it is poised to become a game-changer.

“The competitive advantages of the ERA as a cargo aircraft with respect to traditional turboprops include lower operating costs, optimised payload capacity for typical short haul freight and increased safety through state-of-the-art avionics and flight controls,” says Aura Aero CCO Drew McEwen.

Scheduled to enter into service before the end of the decade, the ERA now has an order book of over 570 units, valued up to $9 billion.

Jérémy Caussade, CEO and co-founder of Aura Aero, adds: “We are delighted to be taking a further step forward in our collaboration with Alpine Air Express, which started last year. This order underscores the confidence in the ERA's ability to deliver not only in terms of environmental sustainability but also in operational cost savings and performance. We believe the ERA cargo aircraft will set a new standard in the cargo market.”

Alpine Air Express CEO Michael Dancy adds: “Some aircraft serving the regional cargo markets are expensive to maintain. Alpine is excited to utilise this next generation technology to provide long term cost controls for its customers.”