Conceptual Design and Operating Costs Evaluation of a 19-seat All-Electric Aircraft for Regional Aviation

Abstract

This paper presents a conceptual approach for the design of an all-electric short-range aircraft for regional aviation. By using the designed aircraft and based on market and financial assumptions, the operating costs were calculated, and by means of trade analysis, an investigation of the influence of few parameters was performed. As a result, the designed aircraft reached an estimated reduction of 39% in the Direct Operating Costs (DOC) considering a frequency of 4 daily flights. Reductions in fuel costs also reached up to 80% in comparison to the current turboprop segment. Moreover, the findings indicate that the maintenance and depreciation take most of the DOC cost for most of the daily flight frequency, with the battery replacement cost increasing significantly with the increase in the daily number of flights. By a sensibility analysis was also identified that variations in the battery life cycle and aircraft purchase price cause more significant changes in the DOC than other parameters considered that could carry uncertainties.