Hybrid passenger plane makes landmark test flight from Exeter to Newquay in south west England.
Like hybrid cars, this Ampaire plane uses a combination of electric and traditional fossil fuel. However, the crucial point is that Ampaire's aircraft uses the electric power system to help with takeoff and climbing to cruising altitude, which is by far the most energy-intensive part of the flight.
Having the conventional engine supplemented by electric power also reduces noise as the aircraft departs.
Ampaire believes that using its system, which takes about 90 minutes to recharge once on the ground, makes the Exeter-Newquay route a whopping 75 percent cheaper than traditional aircraft.
It's another experimental step in the search for an environmentally friendly solution for air travel. Last year the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, sketched out an ambition for a transatlantic demonstration flight by 2030, showing that long-haul travel without harming the environment would be possible within a generation.