Electric Aircraft—As Fuel Prices Increase, Are Alternatives Ready to Take Flight?
Airlines worldwide are canceling flights as the Iran war strains jet fuel supplies and hikes up prices. And just like drivers facing higher prices at the pump, airlines may look to alternative energy sources to cut costs.
Could electric aircraft be a solution to some of our future air travel woes?
Today’s WatchBlog post looks at our new report on the status of electric aircraft efforts—could they be coming to a runway near you?
Electric aircraft prototype on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.
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Going electric: all about the aircraft of the future
Aviation manufacturers are currently developing fully electric and hybrid-electric aircraft. These are mostly for short-range and medium-range distances, given range limitations of current batteries and the weight they add. Electric aircraft differ from conventional aircraft in that they use battery-powered electric motors rather than fuel combustion engines to drive the propellers or turbines.
They vary widely in design. Some require a runway for takeoff. Others take off vertically, for example, from the top of a building. Electric aircraft also have a wide variety of potential uses, including air taxi service and cargo/mail transport.
Artists’ renderings of electric aircraft prototypes
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Significant benefits, but a few drawbacks too. Electric aircraft have the potential to lower operating costs, decrease emissions, and reduce air pollution and noise. With the need for shorter runways or no runways at all, they could increase access to air service at regional airports. And they could potentially create new jobs. For example, there could be increased demand for flight instructors, pilots, and maintenance technicians to service the aircraft.
At present, however, the infrastructure to support electric aircraft at U.S. airports is limited. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), only 47 airports had planned for charging stations for electric aircraft, as of the end of 2025.
FAA officials said airports face some challenges with installing the infrastructure needed for electric aircraft. These include high startup costs, uncertainty about demand, and availability of reliable electricity. For example, airports may require additional infrastructure such as dedicated electric transformers, large-scale battery energy storage systems, and charging stations.
FAA officials added that most airports interested in supporting electric aircraft are just in the planning and information-gathering stages.
Are electric aircraft still a visionary’s dream?
So just how close are we to seeing electric aircraft in the friendly skies?
In brief, it might be a while. As of March, FAA is evaluating electric aircraft and engine designs on a case-by-case basis. The agency has yet to certify a crewed electric aircraft. And it’s unclear when these aircraft will actually be able to operate commercially.
To help streamline reviews, FAA is considering some regulatory changes to help standardize its approach to evaluating these products in the long term. This includes developing airworthiness standards for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Such changes have the potential to reduce FAA’s need to develop individual requirements for each electric aircraft, engine, or propeller design it evaluates. But agency officials have not yet set expected timeframes for these efforts.
In addition, FAA needs more staff with expertise in electric propulsion to take on this job. Agency officials said they have taken some steps to hire engineers in disciplines like propulsion. But FAA needs to better understand the skills that its workforce needs to best respond to changing technology.
Learn more about the future of electric aircraft and FAA’s role by reading our full report.
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