Ampaire hybrid-electric aircraft development

Ampaire, a California-based aviation startup, is advancing hybrid-electric propulsion technology through flight testing and capital acquisition.

In early August 2026, Ampaire and the Utah Department of Transportation conducted demonstration flights using the Ampaire EEL, a hybrid-electric Cessna 337 Skymaster testbed. These flights, part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program and Utah’s uFLY initiative, included a 240-mile trip from Salt Lake City to Cedar City on a single battery charge. The data collected is intended to assist the FAA in refining airspace integration procedures.

Following these tests, Ampaire secured $19 million in Series B funding, led by DiamondStream Partners with participation from Alaska Airlines and IAGi Ventures. The company plans to use the investment to accelerate the commercial readiness of its AMP-H570 propulsion system. This technology will be used to retrofit Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft into the ‘Eco Caravan,’ which aims to reduce fuel consumption by 50%, and to develop hybrid-electric applications for Auxiliary Power Units (APUs).