Can Hybrid Power Finally Fix Regional Aviation?

RTX is building a certifiable 1MW hybrid-electric system for regional aircraft, targeting a 30% fuel efficiency gain

20 May 2026

RTX is advancing a hybrid-electric propulsion system for regional aircraft, pairing a one-megawatt electric motor with a conventional thermal engine and a 200-kilowatt-hour battery from aviation startup H55. The programme, run through Pratt & Whitney Canada and Collins Aerospace, is the most technically ambitious certifiable hybrid architecture in active development for commercial aviation.

Certification strategy, not performance alone, defines the programme's approach. H55's battery module has been embedded into the airworthiness design from the start, targeting compliance with Part 25, aviation's most demanding commercial safety standard.

This regional aircraft carries a substantial share of commercial aviation's total fuel burn. A validated 30% efficiency gain would change the economics for operators running ageing turboprop fleets, and offer the clearest electrification path yet for a segment that has lacked one. Reaching that target requires solving problems certified aviation has not faced before.

High-voltage battery operation in a regional aircraft introduces electrical arcing risk between components, a failure mode with no precedent in certified commercial flight. Existing regulatory frameworks, written for conventional engines, will need to evolve alongside the hardware.

On the certification side, H55 brings a track record in aircraft battery integration, while RTX adds deep expertise across propulsion and avionics. Parallel hybrid-electric research is also advancing under a NASA and GE Aerospace joint effort. For carriers serving short-to-medium routes, the 2030s may mark the decade in which conventional propulsion meets a competitive alternative.