As industries begin to shift away from fossil fuels, Ampaire is banking on its line of hybrid-electric airplanes to revolutionize air travel. The company recently announced its historic first flight of an existing airline route in Hawaii.
Kevin Noertker, Ampaire CEO, said not only would the environment reap the biggest benefits from a reduction of emissions, but the airline industry could also soar to new heights.
"For the airlines, the biggest impact is reduced cost of operation. Airlines care about the total cost of ownership and operation for their planes. By switching to a hybrid plane, you could reduce that fuel burn by up to 50 percent," Noertker told Cheddar.
The CEO also noted that a fully electric plane would reduce emissions by more than 90 percent.
After launching in 2016 and constructing an aircraft for the last two years, paid flights for the company are on the horizon. "We're looking at about a three-year timeline before we get certification to deploy these planes in that commercial operation," Noertker said.
While the company gears up for commercial flights, it has already been conducting demonstrations under the FAA's experimental market survey, which allows passengers and potential Ampaire customers to fly.
Last month, the company became the first to ever demonstrate a hybrid-electric flight in Maui, which went from Kahului to Hana in about 20 minutes. Like other industries, Ampaire's ability to continue developing and moving forward with test flights, particularly in Hawaii, was impacted by pandemic-related restrictions.
The hybrid-electric planes, according to Noertker, while capable of long-distance flights, are optimal for relatively short-distances. Over the next five to 10 years, however, there are plans to produce an aircraft that can hold up to 20 passengers and will fly "routes between 50 and 500 miles."
"The reality is most routes that airlines like to fly are about 100 miles," Noertker said.
JPMorgan Chase celebrates black culture and our communities every day as we continue to celebrate Black History Month. Cheddar News is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their industries. Today we turn our focus to one leader helping shift the culture of amateur sports across the U.S through esports. CEO and Founder of PlayVS, Delane parnell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Chris Konstantinos, Chief Investment Strategist at RiverFront Investment Group, explains why he remains encouraged about the S&P and the state of the market despite the major indexes closing mostly lower on Monday.
Worker-first platform WorkWhile has raised $13 million dollars in a Series A round led by Reach Capital. WorkWhile says it connects the right workers to the right shifts. Hourly workers can use the company's platform to choose when, where and how they want to work. WorkWhile also says it hopes to help companies address the current labor shortage in the U.S. Jarah Euston, CEO and founder of WorkWhile, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Jessi Gold, director of wellness, engagement, and outreach in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, joins Cheddar News to discuss workplace burnout and what signs to look out for.
The new show "Million Dollar Wheels" takes Discovery+ viewers behind the scenes of what it takes to be a luxury car dealer to the stars. The star, CEO, and founder of Wires Only, a full-service luxury automotive, aviation, and entertainment company, joined Cheddar News to talk about what to expect from the series. "The thing about this show is we've got crazy deals with the craziest clients. I'm talking Kim Kardashian, Tom Holland, Jamie Foxx, the list goes on. And they're the craziest requests you could ever imagine," he said. "And me and my team are trying to make the impossible possible, running all over the place, doing whatever it takes to close these deals."
Actor Tom Holland has been dominating the movie scene lately with two of the top three films in the box office this past month. The star drew in the ticket sales with his roles in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Uncharted."
