FlyOnE electric passenger aircraft bound for the Pilbara as part of the Lilypad Elevate regional network

The North West could soon be part of a zero-emissions regional aviation network which would allow West Australians to fly to the Pilbara and surrounding regions in an all-electric aircraft as early as 2026. Perth-based electric aviation start-up FlyOnE signed a deal with Dutch-manufacturer Electron Aerospace in mid-January for the delivery of 28 five-seater Electron 5 aircraft. The planes will operate on the Lilypad Elevate electric aircraft network which will connect 25 regional airports and create more than 30 point-to-point connections within WA. FlyOnE chief executive Korum Ellis said they identified the Pilbara to be a hotspot for activities. “Port Hedland, being an international airport, is the key one and establishes our hub in the North West... We can attract international travel on conventional airlines and transition them to the zero-emissions aircraft at the airport and then they’d fly their local route,” he said. “Anywhere within a 750km radius of Port Hedland will be a high-focus for us and we’ll want to get an electric charge node in there so that these aircraft can cycle in and out as frequently as required. “With the range from Port Hedland, we can easily service all of the major airports and hotspots like Karratha, Barrow Island and although Onslow doesn’t get a huge amount of traffic, I’d like a channel there and Derby is within reach too.” Mr Ellis said they wanted to support companies who were motivated to switch to lower emission solutions. “There’s a lot of pressure on a lot of the businesses operating in the Pilbara to shift to more environmentally-friendly business practices,” he said. “There’s a lot of companies that are moving to a lot of electric site vehicles and even the trains in the rail network will be electrified in the future. “It’s a nice trend and we want to get on it, not just for the sake of the trend but in terms of making a better transport solution that’s more future-proof and more environmentally-friendly.” The Electron 5 has a range of 750km on a single charge with a top speed of 300km/h and will make smaller and often underused airports accessible due to its short take-off and landing capabilities. The 28 aircraft ordered will include two trainer versions and 26 passenger versions, with the first deliveries expected in 2026.