Penobscot Island Air (MID, Rockland) aims to migrate to electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft within the next two years, following the installation at its home base of Rockland, also known as Knox County Regional Airport, of the first charging station for electric planes in Maine, reports Maine Public.
The airline was not immediately available for more information, but airport manager Jeremy Shaw said the charging station would be installed next spring, thanks to a USD294,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission. It will fund the charging station and two electric vehicle chargers, all powered by a solar farm that's being developed at the airport.
Shaw said Penobscot Island Air hoped to use the eVTOL planes to deliver packages and groceries to nearby islands.
The company currently provides on-demand air charter, air taxi, air shuttle, and sight-seeing flights from Knox County Regional Airport with float-enabled Cessna (single piston) 206 and 207 Stationairs.
"Grants like the one announced today for Knox County Regional Airport will ensure mail, parcels, and groceries reach islanders living in some of the most remote parts of our state using clean, electrically charged aircraft. This cutting-edge, autonomous delivery technology will be the first-ever installed in Maine and keep our state on track to reach net-zero emissions," Maine congresswoman Chellie Pingree said in a statement.
County-owned Knox County Regional Airport is located in the town of Owl's Head, Maine. The airport facilities include a primary runway (13/31) and a crosswind runway (03/21).
Cape Air (9K, Hyannis) holds 100% of the scheduled airline capacity at the airport in terms of weekly airline seats and frequencies. The regional carrier has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 75 all-electric Alice aircraft from US/Israeli developer Eviation (Arlington, WA).
