Electra achieves FAA certification milestone for EL9 Ultra Short Aircraft

Federal Aviation Administration has closed the G-1 Issue Paper, formally establishing the certification basis for Electra’s EL9 Ultra Short aircraft and advancing the company toward the next big step in type certification of the company’s nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft. Electra submitted its Part 23 type certification application in November 2025. The swift completion of the G-1 Issue Paper in just seven months reflects years of early technical engagement with the FAA and establishes an agreed regulatory foundation for several industry-first technologies, including distributed hybrid-electric propulsion, blown-lift for ultra-short takeoff and landing, and advanced fly-by-wire controls designed to support low-speed handling and reduce pilot workload. 

Marc Allen, CEO of Electra commented: “The swift G1 achievement reflects the hard work and productive collaboration between Electra and the FAA, who are working together to make the future of aviation real. We are focused now on carrying forward this strong momentum into the G-2 phase of our work with the FAA.The next era of aviation depends on more than designing a breakthrough aircraft. It depends on assuring commercial levels of safety for those aircraft.  As we move the EL9 through the certification process, we remain laser-focused on translating its novel capabilities into safe, scalable operations that will make Direct Aviation a reality."

JP Stewart, Electra’s Senior Vice President for Product Development stated: “In the G-2 phase of the certification process, Electra and the FAA will take the next step and focus on defining the EL9’s means of compliance. This stage will guide how Electra demonstrates that the aircraft meets the FAA-approved certification basis through engineering analysis, ground and flight testing, inspections, conformity activities, and certification data.” 

For novel aircraft, establishing the G1 certification basis is an important early milestone in the type-certification process. It determines how new technologies will be evaluated and provides the framework for proving that the aircraft meets the safety standards required for commercial passenger and cargo operations. 

Electra’s EL9 is the unlock for Direct Aviation, a new category of accessible, point-to-point air mobility. Direct Aviation connects people from where they are to where they want to go, avoiding long drives and congested airport hubs. 

The EL9 is designed to make this possible by moving beyond reliance on large airports alone to a broader network of ultra-short access points, including novel access points, general aviation airports, and congestion-free airport integration. The EL9 can take off and land in 150 feet or less and is designed to carry up to nine passengers on routes up to 330 nautical miles, in a way that meets the Rule of Six: providing unparalleled access, quiet, payload, range, safety, and affordability.