By Doyinsola Oladipo and Allison Lampert
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Jekta Switzerland SA, an electric-seaplane manufacturer, said on Tuesday it received its first order, a letter of intent for 10 planes from Dubai-based broker Gayo Aviation and Tourism, amid a global effort to lower emissions.
Jekta’s electric-motor PHA-ZE 100 will generate zero emissions, according to the company.
Gayo intends to use the planes for sustainable luxury travel and transport to remote areas, Gayo Chairman Gisle Dueland told Reuters. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but large combustion-engine seaplanes can sell for over $1 million.
The 19-seat seaplane is expected to enter service in 2029, Jekta CEO George Alafinov said. The Alafinov family, which owns Jekta, previously founded amphibious aircraft manufacturer Aerovolga, the maker of the LA-8 and D-Borey.
Multiple startups are working on electric or hybrid aircraft to meet aviation’s long-term climate goals. United Airlines and Air Canada have both said they would buy electric planes from Swedish start-up Heart Aerospace.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged developed countries to commit to reaching net zero emissions by 2040 instead of 2050. Carbon dioxide emissions from tourism are expected to grow 25% by 2030 from 2016 levels if there are no changes, according to the U.N. World Tourism Organization.
There are roughly 364 seaplane operators around the world and more than 1,000 aircraft flying, Alafinov said. DeHavilland Canada and Textron Inc’s Cessna began making seaplanes decades earlier.
“You cannot really talk about sustainable tourism if you’re flying an aircraft that was designed 60 or 70 years ago,” said Alafinov.
Jekta aims to reduce per-passenger, per-hour operating costs by more than 70% compared to current seaplanes.
(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
