JSX intends to acquire 322 hybrid electric aircraft

Dallas, Texas-based JSX, a 5-star premium regional air carrier, intends to acquire up to 332 hybrid-electric aircraft from manufacturers Electra, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace, pledging to pioneer an environmentally sustainable future for small community air service. JSX has signed Letters of Intent to acquire up to 82 of the 9-seat Electra electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft with 32 firm orders and 50 options, up to 150 of the 19-seat Aura Aero Era with 50 firm orders and 100 options, and up to 100 of the 30-seat Heart Aerospace ES-30 with 50 firm orders and 50 options. JSX expects to take delivery of its first hybrid-electric aircraft in 2028.

JSX management believes its small community-friendly Part 135 and Part 380 Public Charter operations, combined with the capabilities of these hybrid-electric airplanes, enables service opportunities to more than 2,000 federally funded airports otherwise inaccessible to people who can’t own or charter an entire aircraft.

“Today’s order of hybrid-electric aircraft exemplifies our commitment to achievable, customer-friendly, carbon-reducing solutions that will offer the lower costs essential to providing vital air service to smaller communities across the country,” says Alex Wilcox, JSX CEO & co-founder. “As the network airlines order ever-larger aircraft it is inevitable that more and more small markets will be abandoned. Electra, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace are visionary organizations that share in JSX’s commitment to serving smaller communities, working together with us to weave sustainable regional air travel back into the fabric of American commerce and freedom of movement.”

The Electra eSTOL aircraft is a low-emission airplane designed to transport 9 passengers or 2,500 lb of cargo with a range up to 500nm. It has batteries that recharge in-flight, eliminating the need for new ground infrastructure. Electra’s eSTOL aircraft leverages distributed electric propulsion and blown lift as well as a small turbine-powered generator to drive eight electric motors distributed across the wing, providing high lift at low airspeed and low drag at high speed.

“Electra is thrilled to be a key part of JSX’s innovative vision for the future of regional air mobility. Our eSTOL aircraft is uniquely positioned to deliver on JSX’s commitment to provide sustainable access to small communities and large cities alike,” says JP Stewart, Electra’s vice president and general manager.

Aura Aero’s Era aircraft is designed to transport 19 passengers or 1.9 tons of freight with a flexible seating configuration. The hybrid-electric Era offers a range up to 900nm (1,600km) in a pressurized cabin. Using all-electric propulsion for takeoff reduces the Era’s noise footprint while minimizing environmental impact.

Jeremy Caussade, president and co-founder of Aura Aero, says, “Era, our low-carbon aircraft, provides the performance required for JSX to bring air connectivity to more local communities. This agreement marks a new step in our development in the USA; we are thrilled by this new, exciting challenge!”

The Heart Aerospace ES-30 is a regional hybrid-electric airplane with a standard seating capacity of 30 passengers offering low emissions, low noise pollution, and low operating costs on short-haul routes. The ES-30 is designed to fly up to 500 miles, including 250 miles of hybrid range and up to 125 miles under full electric, zero-emissions power.

Simon Newitt, president and chief commercial officer at Heart Aerospace, says, “The ES-30, with its competitive economics and green credentials, fits very well with JSX’s vision, and we see not only the opportunity to reconnect many regional routes lost over the years, but also open many more new ones.”

JSX stands firm in its support of and belief in manufacturers Electra, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace, who have identified the natural first frontier for scalable low-carbon aviation: using small, fixed-wing regional aircraft that fit within both existing infrastructure and time-tested regulatory parameters, but with dramatically lower operating costs and emissions.

JSX provides up to 120 public charter flights daily to 24 business and leisure destinations across Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Texas in the US, with new offerings to Mexico and the Bahamas. JSX currently operates 48 Embraer E145 family aircraft, each configured to offer 30 seats, and employs more than 1,200 crewmembers.