Bye Aerospace has announced that it now has 135 pre-orders confirmed for the all-electric twin-motor eFlyer 800 which is targeted at the regional airline market. Across all eFlyer models in development, Bye Aerospace is now approaching an unprecedented order backlog of 900 units in total.

George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, said: “The response has been positive since we announced the eFlyer 800 in April of last year. We are particularly grateful to our launch customers, Jet It and JetClub, for their endorsement of this ground-breaking programme. In addition, Safran continues to be a supportive partner as we continue to assess the most-efficient electric powertrain using Safran’s dual ENGINeUS electric motors and GENeUSGRID electric distribution and network protection system.”

Bye Aerospace originally launched the programme in response to the growing demand for all-electric regional business aircraft with a five-fold reduced operating costs compared to legacy turboprops, capable of high speeds and altitude, plus increased capacity and utility. The eight-seat eFlyer 800 also has a best-in-class 65in wide cabin for business transportation. A higher-density 12-seat configuration is being studied for commuter operators, while an increase in motor rating to balance aircraft and payload weight increases is also under consideration.

Vishal Hiremath, co-founder of Jet It and CEO of JetClub, said: “We are very serious about this aircraft and are looking forward to putting it into our operations around the world including Europe and Asia. It is a good-looking and well-designed aircraft, and George Bye is a very experienced and accomplished aviation engineer. We are confident of the solid engineering behind it and are eagerly awaiting entry into service.”

Glenn Gonzales, co-founder of Jet It and JetClub, said: “Jet It and JetClub have made firm commitments to Bye Aerospace for a fleet of aircraft large enough to support the needs of the local travellers in every geographic region we operate in.”

Bye Aerospace is working closely with Safran to determine the most-efficient electric powertrain for the eFlyer 800. Hervé Blanc, Safran Electrical and Power executive vice president and general manager (power), added: “After two years of testing in a Safran laboratory, we have validated all the key features and demonstrated the unrivalled performance of our ENGINeUS 500.

This electric motor can deliver 750kW maximum take-off power, which is the perfect fit for the eFlyer 800. Our GENeUSGRID system will further support the eFlyer 800 architecture design with dissimilar distribution components that ensure a full protection against all the potential dysfunctional behaviours of a high-voltage electrical propulsion system.”

All of Bye Aerospace’s current and future families of aircraft feature engineering, research and electric aircraft solutions, and are designed to address specific market needs. The company estimates eFlyer will eventually eliminate the release of millions of tonnes of CO² each year as its deliveries begin and the general aviation fleet is replaced.

The company is currently in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer 2 for the professional flight training mission and the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and advanced training uses.