Bye Aerospace receives first orders for electric 9-seater

The American manufacturer Bye Aerospace has received two orders for its eight- to nine-seat electric aircraft eFlyer 800 – both of which have already been deposited with deposits. In addition, Bye Aerospace is further developing the four-seat eFlyer 4.

++ This article has been updated. Kindly continue reading below. ++

The orders for the eFlyer 800 come from Skye Aviation and Rheinland Air Service. Skye has ordered 15, but does not intend to operate them itself: Skye Aviation is an aircraft leasing company based in Denver, Colorado.

“Skye Aviation is the first all-electric aircraft leasing company in the world,” said George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace. “We are honored by their selection of the eFlyer 800 to be the foundation for their fleet, and we applaud their forward-reaching strategy. Momentum for electric aviation continues to grow at an incredible pace.”

The second, smaller order comes from Germany. Rheinland Air Service GmbH (RAS), an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider, has entered into purchase bond agreements for five eFlyer 800s. Rheinland Air Service will also act as the MRO partner for the model in Europe and will also be the reseller of eFlyer800 aircraft in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Bye Aerospace said.

“The eFlyer800 with its remarkable economy and flight performance will support the European Market while balancing the amount of carbon emissions,” said Johannes Schaesberg, CEO of RAS. George Bye added: “We have known Johannes and his company for 20 years, and recognize the significant role RAS has, supporting business aviation for this important part of Europe.”

Bye Aerospace had announced the eFlyer 800 in April. The aircraft is said to be capable of speeds of up to 320 knots (593 km/h) and can fly up to 500 nautical miles (926 kilometres) on one battery charge (at a cruise speed of 280 knots/519 km/h) – plus 45 minutes IFR reserve. The French technology group Safran is also involved in the development. However, it was also announced in April that the eFlyer would use 800 lithium-sulphur cells from Oxis Energy. However, Oxis has since gone bankrupt and is to be wound up.

While the battery issue does not seem to be settled yet, Bye is also developing the smaller eFlyer 4 further – especially when it comes to aerodynamics. “The projected aerodynamic performance for this 200-knot airplane continues to mature and improve,” Bye said. “This is due to its sleek fuselage profile and advanced wing design.” The eFlyer 4 is designed primarily for pilot training and for use as an air taxi.

Update 06 December 2021

Skye Aviation has ordered further units of the eight-seat eFlyer 800 electric aircraft from Bye Aerospace. Following the aforementioned order for 15, the US aircraft leasing company is now ordering two more eFlyer 800 aircraft. The down payment has been made, Bye Aerospace said. Both partners have also signed option agreements for three additional aircraft.

George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace said: “A leasing solution provides an access and growth path for fleet operators to what might otherwise be a capital-constrained asset challenge.”

byeaerospace.com (Skye Aviation), byeaerospace.com (Rheinland Air Services), byeaerospace.com (eFlyer 4), byeaerospace.com (Update)