Electric seaplanes, soon in Majorca?

The Balearic Islands could soon have a seaplane operator. The startup airline, called Isla Air (which is included in the list of 2021 airline startups), aims to operate a network linking the different islands as well as the Spanish mainland….so far so good (and even wondering why such service doesn’t exist yet), but there is an additional interesting twist to this story: the seaplanes may well be soon electric! (which, as a side effect, will allow air connections to the tiny island of Formentera, which doesn’t have an airport)

Seaplanes are becoming sort of a test bank for electrically-powered aviation. Harbour Air, in British Columbia, Canada, completed the first all-electric commercial flight not long ago and, if you follow sustainable aviation podcast (always recommended!) you may be aware of the fact that, in Australia, Sydney Seaplanes have plans to go electric as soon as circumstances and technology permit, and up north in Scandinavia, Norwegian startup Equator Seaplanes is also working in this segment of the industry.

The same Spanish firm, Dante Aeronautical, that is going to help Sydney Seaplanes in its electric transition is also involved in the Balearic electric seaplane seaplane project. In addition to retrofitting aircraft, they would also need to obtain the STC from both the European and Australian aviation authorities respectively. Leading electric propulsion company MagniX is also collaborating with Dante Aeronautical in both projects and, particularly in the pursuit of an electric STC for Cessna Caravans (as stated in a press release last December) that can then be offered to other operators.