An electric, zero-emissions aircraft could transform the way pilots are trained and help the airline industry drastically reduce its carbon footprint.
NEBOair’s two-seater plane, the Velis Electro, can fly for up to 50 minutes — dependent on headwinds and tailwinds — and operates almost silently.
The National travelled to the company's site in Essex where it was invited to board a flight to London in the compact plane.
It costs about £5 ($5.79) to fully charge the battery, compared to about £80 for a petrol engine aircraft of the same size to remain in the air for roughly an hour.
“So it’s quite a substantial difference in the operating costs,” said Deepak Mahajan, flight operations manager at NEBOair.
Manufactured by Pipistrel, the Velis Electro is intended primarily for pilot training but may also appeal to private customers looking for green modes of air travel for short distances.
Pipistrel, based in Slovenia and Italy, spent 14 years developing the technology required to run a plane solely on solar power, Mr Mahajan said. “It's taken a long while to bring up production prototypes, to do the flight testing, to do all the certification work with the European Aviation Safety Agency and with the UK Civil Aviation Authority.”
Mr Mahajan said he has received a “very enthusiastic” response from pilots keen to experiment in zero-emissions flights.
“Whether it’s battery-powered or hydrogen fuel cell powered, everyone wants to reduce our emissions.”
It is the first Easa Type certified light aircraft in the world driven entirely by electric propulsion and relies on a 57.6-kilowatt liquid-cooled engine to make it move.
The plane, made of carbon composite, is fitted with two 11kWh lithium batteries which take approximately an hour and 20 minutes to charge.
NEBOair charges the Velis Electro's batteries at a stand-alone solar charging station.
The aircraft can be purchased for £175,760, excluding VAT.
Having been used by Royal Air Force pilots during training exercises, the plane performed the world's first solar-powered air display at last summer’s Old Buckenham Air Show, in Norfolk, in eastern England.
NEBOair said if its Slovenian-made model was adopted by the industry for the training of pilots, it would go a long way towards reducing the sector’s overall emissions. Many would-be pilots spend long hours flying in the hope of getting their licence before quitting.
The plane was among the innovations attracting visitors at the London Climate Technology Show earlier this month.
“If you think about how many pilots go through training so far and give up, a bit like students dropping out of university, they get so far,” Kerry Wilmot, director of project and infrastructure management for NEBOair, told The National
“If all of that part was solely done on an electric aircraft, it’s a huge emission drop and carbon footprint drop.”
She said the reaction from spectators and aviation experts at the Buckingham Airshow convinced her the Velis Electro could one day be embraced across the sector.
“There were people there that have flown some of the top aircraft in the world and everybody was wowed,” she said.
“They had the RAF Typhoon display team which put on the most incredible display. We had to follow that and follow it in something that’s virtually silent.
“RAF pilots say it will fit into the future as a training aircraft.”
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
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When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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