World’s first electric passenger plane takes off from Cambridge

Researchers from the Whittle Laboratory and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s (CISL) Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) were among the passengers on the first demonstration flights out of Cambridge Airport in a two-person Pipistrel Velis Electro aircraft.

The aircraft is the only electric plane certified for passenger flights in the UK. It charges up in just 45 minutes and can be airborne for up to an hour. It is powered by a battery that is a third of the size of an electric car battery.

Among those eagerly collecting their boarding passes, was Dr Deepanshu Singh, a researcher
in sustainable aviation and the head of strategic partnerships at the University’s world-leading AIA in the Whittle Laboratory.

About 36 airfields around the UK are in the process of installing the charging equipment for electric planes, with 14 already installed. 

However, experts describe the transition to electric flights as just one piece of the puzzle. 

Sustainable aviation will require a mix of technologies, including novel fuels, new aircraft designs, and smarter air traffic systems to decarbonise the skies.

Prior to joining the AIA programme, Dr Singh completed a PhD in aerospace at the University of Oxford in collaboration with
Rolls-Royce, focusing on an experimental aerothermal study of low-emission aircraft engines.

He is also building a start-up called Neela Biotech that leverages synthetic biology and AI to power the future of flight with carbon-negative fuels, which won the 2025 Cambridge Zero Climate Challenge.

“It was so exciting to get out of the Whittle Laboratory and into the sky on the world’s first electric aircraft,” said Dr Singh.

“Sometimes our work can feel a bit abstract, but flying in this tiny electric plane, it made everything come alive. I was struck by how remarkably quiet the aircraft was –
electric aviation eliminates in-flight emissions and offers improved efficiency over combustion engines.”

The aircraft is based at London’s Fairoaks Airport and has been partly funded with support from aviation sustainability group 4Air, a sister company to business aircraft charter group Flexjet.

Professor Rob Miller, Director of the Whittle Laboratory, said that decarbonising aviation is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity and the Whittle Laboratory's highest priority.

“We are tackling this challenge at every level: from rethinking the entire aviation system and modelling accelerated pathways to net zero, to developing the deep technologies that will power the future of
flight.”

He said the Whittle Laboratory's work spans a range of solutions – from battery-electric propulsion for short-range aircraft to hydrogen-powered aircraft for longer distances.

Professor Miller said this particular flight was especially exciting because it demonstrates the potential of electric aviation and also offers critical hands-on experience with the infrastructure needed to support the transition to net zero.

“Transforming aviation is only possible through close collaboration between industry and academia – and our partnership with 4Air is a great example of what can be achieved,” he said. “It is really great to get our scientists out of the lab and on this electric plane to see what can be achieved in the real world.”