‘Like the future of the Jetsons’: Company aims to build electric airplanes in WA
Jan 12, 2021, 5:11 AM | Updated: 11:15 am
There’s a chance that yet another company may be soon making airplanes in Washington state, and it’s called Eviation. Andrew McIntosh of the Puget Sound Business Journal joined KIRO Nights to discuss the company and their production plans.
“Well, we broke a scoop, a big scoop, about what is widely believed to be the future of regional aviation, which is electric aviation and electric airplanes — either hybrid ones or totally all electric ones powered by big, powerful batteries. There’s a company in Israel that has offices here called Eviation. They make the brand new clean sheet, as they call it, designed Alice airplane,” he said.
FAA appears poised to recertify the 737 Max this week
“It looks like the future of the Jetsons,” McIntosh added. “This thing is beautiful, it’s also way quieter, and it also has a connection to Redmond. They have a related company that makes electrical airplane motors for conversion kits on seaplanes, for instance. … But they’re coming to Arlington. They have taken out two big leases at the Arlington Municipal Airport. They are building a new aircraft assembly, delivery and research, and certification facility. They are hiring. So if Boeing workers are listening, there are jobs on that company’s website that they’re looking to fill. They’re going to move people here as well.”
McIntosh says the company already has customers lined up, and is awaiting FAA approval, with test airports waiting.
“So that is a project worth more than well north of quoted $10 million, which is what I was given — I think it’s probably closer to $50 [million] — this is a company that has customers already waiting for planes, and so they just need to get it certified and approved by the FAA,” he said.
WA Hospitality Association CEO: Restaurants are ‘not the problem’ as COVID cases spike
“And a lot of cities in Washington state have lined up to become test airports for this airplane and flight,” he added. “So Washington state wants to be the future of regional electric aviation, and this company would be a key player in that industry.”
Listen to KIRO Nights weeknights from 7 – 10 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
