The world’s largest electric plane, Heart Aerospace’s X1 prototype, has received airworthiness approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), clearing it for its first flight tests. Icelandair — which has already signed a letter of intent to buy five of these aircraft — stands to become one of the earliest adopters of the technology.
Key takeaways
- The FAA has granted an airworthiness certificate to the X1, Heart Aerospace’s experimental prototype of its 30-seat ES-30 aircraft.
- When airborne, the X1 will become the largest electric plane ever to fly, with seating for up to 30 passengers.
- Icelandair holds a letter of intent for five ES-30 aircraft and sits on the plane’s development advisory board.
- Heart Aerospace now targets 2031 for commercial passenger service — a notable delay from earlier projections.
What is the Heart Aerospace X1 and why does it matter for Iceland?
The X1 has been undergoing ground taxi tests at Plattsburgh Airport in upstate New York. Now, with the FAA’s green light in hand, Heart Aerospace CEO and founder Anders Forslund says the company is ready to put it in the air. No specific date for the first flight has been announced, but the certification means testing can begin immediately.
The aircraft is the experimental version of the ES-30, a hybrid-electric regional jet designed to carry 30 passengers. It is not fully electric — rather, it is a hybrid. On pure battery power it can cover routes up to 200 kilometres. On longer routes of up to 800 kilometres, it switches to twin-engine mode burning sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Charging time between flights is around 30 minutes.
For Iceland specifically, those numbers are compelling. The direct-line distance from Reykjavík to the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) is roughly 112 kilometres — comfortably within all-electric range. Reykjavík to Ísafjörður is around 222 kilometres, meaning about 90 percent of that leg could run on electricity alone. Even the Reykjavík–Akureyri route, at around 250 kilometres as the crow flies, could be mostly electric. Heart Aerospace claims operating costs will be more than 40 percent lower than conventional aircraft, which matters enormously in Iceland, where several domestic routes have quietly died because they simply couldn’t turn a profit.
The ES-30 is also designed to operate from shorter runways and produces far less noise than a conventional turboprop — both useful qualities for smaller Icelandic airstrips. The manufacturer says the plane needs only one pilot, with a high degree of automation reducing the need for a full two-person crew.
Heart Aerospace’s move to California and what it means
Heart Aerospace began as a Swedish company headquartered in Gothenburg, backed by Nordic investors. Last year it relocated its headquarters to California — a move that stung Sweden and drew criticism across Europe. The company’s reasoning, widely interpreted by analysts, was that the U.S. offers a more innovation-friendly regulatory environment than Europe. One market analyst described the departure as a clear example of European regulatory burden driving startups away.
The prototype was first publicly unveiled in Gothenburg in autumn 2024. Icelandair, which is a member of the ES-30 advisory board, has emerged as the airline most likely to lead Iceland’s domestic aviation transition to cleaner energy — assuming the plane reaches certification and commercial service by 2031 as planned. That timeline has already slipped from earlier targets, so it is fair to hold some cautious optimism rather than certainty.
You can follow Heart Aerospace’s progress directly on the Heart Aerospace website, where the company publishes flight test updates.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Heart Aerospace ES-30 electric plane?
The ES-30 seats up to 30 passengers, making its X1 prototype the largest electric aircraft ever to fly once it lifts off. It is a hybrid-electric design, capable of flying up to 200 kilometres on battery power alone and up to 800 kilometres in hybrid mode using sustainable aviation fuel.
Why is Icelandair interested in the Heart Aerospace ES-30?
Icelandair has signed a letter of intent for five ES-30 aircraft and holds a seat on the plane’s development advisory board. The aircraft’s short-runway capability, low noise, and claimed operating cost reduction of over 40 percent make it well-suited to Iceland’s domestic route network, where several destinations have struggled to support financially viable air service.
When will the Heart Aerospace ES-30 enter commercial service?
Heart Aerospace currently targets 2031 for the ES-30 to enter commercial passenger service with airlines. That date represents a delay compared to earlier company projections. The X1 prototype has just received FAA airworthiness approval to begin flight testing, so the programme is still in an early experimental phase.
