Electra flew its hybrid-electric EL2 airplane into a Lower Manhattan heliport, demonstrating its ability to take off and land in a waterfront space normally reserved for helicopters.
The two-seat EL2 Goldfinch technology demonstrator landed and took off at Downtown Skyport on October 26, 2026, as part of Electra’s effort to show that short regional flights need not begin and end at conventional airports. The company said it believes this was the first landing at the heliport by a fixed-wing aircraft without vertical-takeoff capability.
“Today we made aviation history in downtown Manhattan by landing a fixed-wing aircraft on a heliport,” Electra CEO Marc Allen said. “What’s even more interesting is that we didn’t need to build a new runway to do it.”
The EL2 is being used to test technology for Electra’s planned nine-passenger EL9. The aircraft relies on a technique called blown lift, which uses electrically driven propellers to push air over the wings and large flaps, increasing lift at speeds much lower than those required by conventional airplanes.
That allows the aircraft to become airborne after a short ground roll. Once in cruise flight, the flaps retract and the aircraft flies normally, avoiding the need to sustain the extra lift. Electra’s published target for the EL9 is a takeoff and landing ground roll of 150 feet.
The aim is to make regional flying practical from smaller sites closer to passengers’ destinations. Electra wants to offer regional flights from heliports and other small sites, saving passengers the drive to and from an airport.
For Downtown Skyport, the attraction is extending its role beyond helicopter flights and proposed electric air taxi services.
“Electra’s ultra-short takeoff aircraft shows that Downtown Skyport can connect to destinations well beyond the airport run, carrying more passengers and more cargo over far greater distances,” said Robbie Ladov, General Manager, US Heliports & Vertiports at Skyports Infrastructure.
Electra was founded in 2020 by John Langford, who previously founded Aurora Flight Sciences. The concept grew from work with Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers, including Professors John Hansman and Mark Drela, exploring ways to combine electric propulsion with very short takeoff and landing distances.
The Manassas, Virginia-based company first flew the EL2 on battery power in November 2023, followed later that month by its first hybrid-electric flight. The demonstrator has since become the centerpiece of a flight-test and demonstration campaign supporting development of the larger aircraft.
The EL9’s planned propulsion system combines eight electric motors with batteries and an onboard turbine-powered generator. The generator supplies electricity and allows the batteries to recharge in flight, reducing dependence on charging equipment at destinations. Electra lists a projected cruise speed of 175 knots and a maximum ferry range of 1,100 nautical miles with reserves.
In July 2026, Electra announced that the FAA had established the EL9’s certification basis, setting the regulatory framework for the program. The company is targeting a first flight in late 2027 or early 2028 and entry into service in 2030.
The Manhattan flight follows demonstrations at locations including Charleston, South Carolina, Atlantic City’s Bader Field and Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Electra also recently used its demonstrator to test helicopter-style instrument procedures and heliport operations at Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport.
Electra says it holds more than 2,200 letters of intent from over 60 commercial customers for the EL9.