Frankfurt When Norbert Werle founded his business aircraft provider in 2017, one thing was certain: in the long run, his customers should fly electrically. That’s why he named his company Air2E. So far, however, the flight enthusiast has not been able to implement his plan – due to a lack of equipment. The 20 private planes operated by Air2E all use conventional aviation fuel.
But that should change soon. Werle wants to order electric aircraft from the US company Bye Aerospace. On Wednesday afternoon, the 44-year-old will make the deal official together with Bye founder and boss George E. Bye in a conference on the business platform LinkedIn. “The mission of Air2E is to offer clean and sustainable aviation to the largest possible population group in the future,” Werle told the Handelsblatt.
Air2E is one of the companies that is driving the electrification of smaller aircraft with power. While synthetic fuel is initially seen as an alternative to climate-neutral flying in larger commercial aircraft, the battery-powered drive is increasingly emerging in smaller devices. Technological development is currently gaining tremendous pace here.
Deutsche Post / DHL recently ordered twelve Alice electric aircraft from the US company Eviation. They are to be used as small cargo planes. Bye Aerospace – the aircraft supplier for Air2E – already has a German customer. Rheinland Air Service GmbH (RAS) ordered five electric aircraft in the USA in the summer. However, RAS is a specialist in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. The company is to become the maintenance partner for Bye Aerospace and also sell their aircraft.
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The KLM Flight Academy, a subsidiary of the Dutch airline KLM, has also ordered 14 electric aircraft from Bye. They should be used in pilot training. KLM wants to use the US company’s two- and four-seater for this purpose. Werle wants the planned eight-seater for his Air2E.
It is still unclear how many electric aircraft Air2E will buy
Bye plans to start series production of this aircraft, the so-called eFlyer 800, from 2025 onwards. The aircraft with two electrically powered propellers should be able to fly almost 600 kilometers per hour and, once fully charged, a good 900 kilometers.
Werle does not give a specific number of how many electric aircraft he wants to buy, nor does he give a specific schedule. Behind this is probably the knowledge of the aviation expert that the new devices first have to get their approval, no easy undertaking.
Werle speaks of an “initial volume of several aircraft”. He wanted to put the fleet into operation as quickly as possible, and the feedback from customers was very positive. “Every innovation is always needs-based, so the following applies: The more business customers already fly with us today, the faster we can create a significant fleet and thus a real German or European network.”
Werle is convinced that the technical data of the new electric aircraft is an ideal match for Air2E’s business model. The capabilities of the aircraft would be sufficient for around 90 percent of the requirements for business travel within Europe.
Even as a child, the entrepreneur spent a lot of time with his father at flight shows.
(Photo: Air2E)
“Companies are ready to invest in electric aircraft”
Werle, who lives in Berlin, could actually strike a nerve with many entrepreneurs and managers with his project. “The companies are ready to invest in electric aircraft,” says Andreas Mundsinger, managing director of the German Business Aviation Association. The image of private jets is still not good. “The electrification of aviation is therefore a great opportunity for us.”
Werle came into contact with aviation early on. The single father of a six-year-old daughter spent a lot of time with his father at flight shows as a child. At the age of nine he started with the hobby of model flying, when he was 18 years old he did his glider training.
Flying really got going in the USA. There the 21-year-old made his license. In 2005 he started his career in glider aerobatics, then in 2006 in motor aerobatics. The young pilot regularly took part in international competitions and achieved top places in the process.
The topic of sustainable energy was added through Werle’s profession. For 18 years, the entrepreneur worked in the sales of wind turbines, including at various companies as a sales manager in Eastern Europe. In 2017 he founded Air2E to combine the two, says Werle.
Tariffs like a taxi ride
Among other things, attractive prices should help. Air2E promises tariffs that shouldn’t be far from those of a normal taxi ride: four euros per kilometer flown. Werle calculates that it would be 510 kilometers from Nuremberg to Emden. There and back do the 1010 kilometers, which results in a flight price of 4080 euros. Compared to other private jet providers, who usually pay by the hour, this is a rather affordable price. “If two people are traveling with you, the tariff is even reduced to two euros per kilometer per guest.”
US manufacturer Bye Aerospace has promised that the new electric aircraft will have only a fifth of the operating costs of conventional twin-engine turboprop aircraft. “This will enable lower tariffs in the future,” promises Werle.
But experts like Gerald Wissel from the consulting firm Airborne Consulting take a critical view of such promises: “It’s true, electric motors are cheaper, and so is maintenance. But the batteries have to be serviced for that. ”Beyond that, be it a normal aircraft with fixed costs, for example for the crew or the fees.
However, that does not prevent Werle from offering the “taxi tariffs” now, also for the conventional fleet. “This offer is already active today and applies to flights with our four-seater Diamond DA42, which we have been using commercially for years. These propeller planes are very efficient, hence the low costs. “
Despite the low prices, the business is profitable, says Werle: “Every flight generates additional funds for further fleet expansion in the direction of emission-free, sustainable flights as soon as the eFlyer800 is available.”
More: With electricity to the sky: That’s how far the development of electric aircraft has come