Alpine Air Express, one of America’s largest regional air cargo carriers, and AURA AERO, French aircraft manufacturer and pioneer in low-carbon aviation, have signed a Letter of Intent for the purchase of up to 75 ERA, the hybrid-electric regional transport aircraft due to enter into service before 2030. 

Based in Provo, Utah, Alpine Air Express operates some 100+ daily regional flights across the USA, transporting freight and packages for all the major freight delivery companies, such as UPS, Amazon and United States Postal Services, offering last mile delivery. 

Currently operating a fleet of over 80 aircraft, Alpine intends to take advantage of the opportunities offered by ERA to decarbonize its operations in the coming years while operating a more efficient aircraft.

ERA is a versatile aircraft which, thanks to its wide, full opening cargo door and well matched combination of volume and  payload, offers a very competitive range of possibilities for regional air freight operators, reducing maintenance and energy costs by more than 50% per ton of revenue cargo, when compared to older aircraft of the same category. 

The ERA cargo aircraft represents a significant leap forward in the cargo market, combining advanced green technology with operational efficiency. As the aviation industry continues to prioritize sustainability and cost-effectiveness, this freighter aircraft is poised to become a game-changer.

“Competitive advantages of ERA as a cargo aircraft with respect to traditional turboprops, include lower operating costs, optimized payload capacity for typical short haul freight and increased safety through state-of-the-art avionics and flight controls“, said Drew McEwen, Chief Commercial Officer of AURA AERO.

Following the signature in June 2023 of a Memorandum of Understanding between AURA AERO and Alpine, covering support in areas like the certification of ERA by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), the operations and customer support services, and the development of an aircraft configuration to meet the airline’s specific requirements, this Letter of Intent marks a new stage in  the growth of AURA AERO’s market share in the United States, following the company’s recent investment in Florida.

Scheduled to enter into service before the end of the decade, ERA now has an order book of over 570 units, valued up to $9 billion.

Jérémy Caussade, CEO and co-founder of AURA AERO, added: “We are delighted to be taking a further step forward in our collaboration with Alpine Air Express, which started last year. This order underscores the confidence in ERA’s ability to deliver not only in terms of environmental sustainability but also in operational cost savings and performance. We believe the ERA cargo aircraft will set a new standard in the cargo market.“

Alpine Air Express CEO, Mr. Michael Dancy, said: “Some aircraft serving the regional cargo markets are expensive to maintain. Alpine is excited to utilize this next generation technology to provide long term cost controls for its customers.”