An aerospace start-up has unveiled plans to offer an electric-powered commercial flight between London and Paris in the next 10 years.

Wright Electric (www.weflywright.com) believes that its proposed zero-emission electric plane (carrying 150 passengers) will offer a cheaper alternative to jet fuel for short-haul flights (up to 300 miles).

However, its bid to revolutionise air travel relies on further advances in battery technology. If these fail to materialise, the company, which has already attracted serious funding, would be forced to switch to a hybrid of aviation fuel and electricity.

Co-founder Jeff Engler told the BBC: “Depending on how it’s designed, you can have an electric plane that’s substantially less loud than a fossil-fuel plane.

“The way we’ve designed our plane is to have modular quick-change battery packs, using the same cargo container that’s in a regular airplane.

“We want the change-over to be as fast as possible, so airlines can keep their planes moving and cover their costs.”

Budget airline EasyJet says it has entered into discussions with Wright Electric about this “exciting” technology.