Ampaire

Ampaire’s AmpDrive system pairs a conventional internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery pack, optimizing the combined power output for different phases of flight. The company claims this architecture can cut fuel consumption by up to 90%, primarily by drawing on electric power during taxi, takeoff, and climb, when traditional engines are least efficient. Maintenance costs are said to drop by roughly half because the combustion engine operates fewer hours and at steadier loads.

Ampaire’s testbed program is built around the Cessna 337 Skymaster, a twin-engine push-pull aircraft that allows for straightforward comparison between a conventional rear engine and an electric forward engine. The company has publicly committed to scaling its technology onto regional turboprops, which represent the bulk of short-haul commercial routes. As of its latest disclosed figures, the fleet has accumulated over 30,000 flight miles.

Mokulele Airlines, a Hawaii-based scheduled carrier, is Ampaire’s most prominent commercial partner and a potential early operator of its hybrid-electric aircraft on inter-island routes. Avinor, the state-owned operator of Norway’s airports, has worked with Ampaire on a carbon-reduction program. The company is also a portfolio member of Elemental Excelerator, a climate-tech accelerator.

Ampaire is an operating company — a venture-backed developer of electric aircraft propulsion, not a family office or investment manager. Its capital goes into research, certification, and flight testing, not external investment portfolios.

Ampaire is pursuing a supplemental type certificate (STC) for its AmpDrive modification, meaning it must demonstrate to regulators that its hybrid-electric powertrain is safe and reliable on an already-certified airframe. This contrasts with clean-sheet electric aircraft developers that face a longer full type-certification process. The exact FAA or EASA filing status and expected certification date have not been publicly disclosed.