Green skies ahead: Pipistrel Velis Electro to make first certified electric aircraft Channel crossing
London Gatwick prepares to welcome a landmark arrival from Europe’s only certified electric aircraft
The only thing standing between the Pipistrel Velis Electro from marking a milestone…
July 7, 2025
London Gatwick prepares to welcome a landmark arrival from Europe’s only certified electric aircraft
The only thing standing between the Pipistrel Velis Electro from marking a milestone as the first ever certified electric aircraft to fly between France and England is strong headwinds.
As part of the Elektro Tour 2025, “the original plan was to cross the Channel and land in London Gatwick on Tuesday 8 July, strong winds mean the crossing might not happen until Wednesday 9 July,” Iestyn Harvey, president of Elektro Tour Association told Aerospace Global News on Monday.
Having departed Lyon-Bron on Tuesday 1 July, the aircraft is currently waiting at Le Touquet-Elizabeth II Airport for winds to ease so it can cross the Channel.
Not the first electric aircraft to fly across the English Channel
Pipistrel’s historic milestone follows in the footsteps of Airbus’ E-Fan, which in 2015 became the first uncertified electric aircraft to cross the channel. Unlike the E-Fan, however, the Velis Electro is fully type-certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Once across the Channel, the Velis Electro will make several stops in the UK at airfields including Rochester and Redhill before landing at London Gatwick. After re-charging, it will then fly back to France, heading down along the French Atlantic coastline before heading inland to Clermont-Ferrand, the Alps and finally Annecy Airport where the tour will wrap up.
The aircraft is powered by Pipistrel’s own type-certified electric engine, the E-811, producing 57.6kW delivered by a 345 345 VDC electric system and in-house developed dual battery system.
One battery pack is located in the nose of the aircraft, while the other is behind the cabin. The entirely liquid-cooled powertrain is charged via an on-board port and external charger. According to Harvey, it can take “around four hours for a full charge with a three-phase system.”
The charging challenge of electric aircraft
Highlighting the economic advantages of electric-powered flight, the Velis Electro costs around £5 per hour in electricity to operate. An equivalent combustion engine plane would cost around £50 per hour to operate.
However, challenges remain – not least the lack of charging infrastructure at airports. “There are only a limited number of airports and operators with self-service charging infrastructure,” said Harvey.
To overcome this, on the Elektro Tour, a ground crew in an electric vehicle is towing a trailer equipped with mobile charging equipment, to ensure adequate charging capacity across the 50 or so airports along the tour route. Nebo Air is also supporting with charging infrastructure at various UK airfields.
The tour is also notable for its young crew, aged between 17 and 23. “Two will fly the aircraft, while the other two will remain on the ground to transport the charging infrastructure,” said Harvey.
Navigating headwinds
“Although the current Electro design has a flight time of around 50 minutes, during the tour it is flying 30 minutes as current European regulations stipulate that aircraft must have at least 30 minutes of reserve endurance for cross-country flights,” he continued.
While designing a route around charging infrastructure requirements was one challenge the team had to address, low cloud and strong head winds also present a hurdle for the aircraft, which has a maximum take-off weight of around 600 kg. The total battery weight is 140kg.
As the winds ease allowing the aircraft to cross the Channel, the tour will mark a significant step for electric aviation. “It demonstrates how aviation is doing its part to decarbonise,” concluded Harvey.
In addition to zero CO2 emissions during operation, the Velis Electro offers around an 80% reduction in noise reduction. “This is significant for those living in and around airports,” Harvey said. “It shows that sustainable flight is possible and can be integrated into everyday operations.”
