Electric Powered flights by 2030?

The UK Government annoince on 14 July 2021 that they were investing in several Aerospace initiatives to help  introduce zero carbon flights within the next decade and for Domestic flights to be carbon free by 2040.

Environmentalists have ridiculed this stance saying that the government are putting their trust in technology that just may not happen.  So, will it be possible?

Well across 'the posnd' a few days prior to the UK's announcement, United Airlines announced an investment in Heart Aerospace and an intention to purchase 100 of the companies 19 seater electric powered regional aircraft.  Their intenmtion is to start using the aircraft on their short haul commuter routes as soon as 2026.

By utilizing electric motors instead of jet engines, and batteries instead of jet fuel, Heart’s ES-19 aircraft will have zero operational emissions. Seating 19 passengers, the ES-19 aircraft will also be larger than any of its all-electric competitors and will be designed to operate on the same types of batteries used in electric cars.  Once operational, the ES-19 could operate on more than 100 of United’s regional routes out of most of its hubs. Some of these routes include Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Purdue University Airport (LAF) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Modesto City-County Airport (MOD).

We wait to see if it will happen, but as to a gut feeling?  When governmenst plow money in to something then often they are, indeed 'pie in the sky', however, when hard nosed US airlines put in nmoney then things are a little bit diifferent and so lets just say that it won't be too long before something happens.