Design to Deployment: Flight Schedule-Based Analysis of Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Variants in U.S. Regional Carrier Operations
Abstract
This study evaluates the feasibility and benefits of introducing battery powered hybrid electric aircraft (HEA) into regional airline operations. Using 2019 U.S. domestic flight data, the ERJ175LR is selected as a representative aircraft, and several HEA variants are designed to match its mission profile under different battery technologies and power management strategies. These configurations are then tested across over 800 actual daily flight sequences flown by a regional airline. The results show that well-designed HEA can achieve 3 to 7% fuel savings compared to conventional aircraft, with several variants able to complete all scheduled missions without disrupting turnaround times. These findings suggest that HEA can be integrated into today s airline operations, particularly for short haul routes, without the need for major infrastructure or scheduling changes, and highlight opportunities for future co-optimization of aircraft design and operations.
Emma Cassidy
PhD Student and Graduate Research Assistant
Emma is a PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan and works as a Graduate Student Research Assistant in the IDEAS Lab. Her research interests are sustainable aviation, experimental aircraft design, and commercial aircraft operations.
Paul Mokotoff
PhD Student and Graduate Research Assistant
Paul Mokotoff is a graduate student research assistant in the IDEAS Lab at the University of Michigan.
Yilin Deng
Master’s student and Research Assistant
Yilin Deng was a research assistant at the IDEAS lab at U-M. He worked on a hybrid electric aircraft operation project.
