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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1181452
NOVEMBER 2019 BCBUSINESS 41 BCBUSINESS.CA funds from grants and different things to be able to help fuel the economic side of it. But a lot of them seemed to be fraught with a huge application process and differ- ent bureaucracy." So the idea was put on the shelf for a couple of years—until a Redmond, Washington–based aviation outfit called MagniX noticed what Harbour Air was up to in the state and saw an opportunity. Founded in Australia (the company still has an office there but has moved its headquar- ters to Redmond), MagniX is a world leader in electric motor manufacturing. When MagniX CEO Roei Ganzarski and McDougall met for coffee in Vancouver late last year, things progressed quickly. "In North America, aviation contrib- utes 12 percent to the C02 that's emitted; globally it's anywhere between 2 and 4 percent," says Ganzarski, who found Harbour Air's commitment to the environ- ment compelling. "We're both very aware that it's not something that's sustainable or something that's OK, especially for the Pacific Northwest." Of course, Harbour Air was also in a uniquely advantageous position to take on electrification. Its routes are shorter than most, and Ganzarski and McDougall settled on the fleet's Beaver aircraft as the ideal starting point. The de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver seaplane, which can carry up to six passengers, usually flies routes to the tune of 15 to 25 minutes. "We have a perfect complementary need to push ourselves forward and, more importantly, push the industry forward in what it means to go electric, what it can do for airlines, the environment, consumers," Ganzarski says. "Basically, lower price for tickets, no emissions and no reliance on fossil fuels, which are all good things for the industry." The reality is that without MagniX and its electric propulsion expertise and investment, Harbour Air wouldn't be able to make the transition. "It really acceler- ated everything by multiples, because all of a sudden there we were with a willing partner to help us on the economic side of things," McDougall admits. It makes the endeavour a worthy investment for Harbour Air, which stands to gain something fierce once the conver- sion is complete. "It has the potential to have huge eco- nomic benefits—there's no fossil fuel burn, which is a significant part of our cost, and the energy replacement and the battery system per f light is infinitesimal com- pared to jet fuel," McDougall says. "And the simplicity of the motors themselves, compared to turbine motors and pistons, which we still have on the Beavers, you're looking at 10,000 hours of service out of an electric motor before you even have to look at it, very simple." TECHNICALLY SPEAKING So how does an old dog learn new tricks? Or, more accurately, how does a baby boomer who plied his trade flying planes become an expert on cutting-edge technol- ogy when most of his peers are just now finding out about emojis? McDougall, who has no formal post- secondary education besides flight school, credits his ability to stay with the times to a global group called the Young Presidents Organization. "I'm not a young president anymore, but they have what's called YPO Gold, if you're over 50. So I'm definitely gold," jokes the Harbour Air boss, who's been a card-carrying member of the Van- couver chapter since 1995. "I was exposed to a lot of other very sharp businesspeople and the educational programs that came along with that," McDougall adds. "It's a very dynamic orga- nization, and I was able to take advantage of that and learn about a lot of things that otherwise I wouldn't have known." YPO holds a wide range of events, but the shift away from fossil fuels is a ubi- quitous topic. "It became pretty evident to me that electrification of transportation is inevitable—one of the last things that'll be easy to electrify is aircraft," McDougall says. "And the reason for that is because the amount of energy that's required to replace internal combustion or fossil fuels is huge." Others in the industry aren't surprised that Harbour Air decided to flip the switch, as it were. "I knew people were looking at this worldwide—they're working on it, no question," says Steve Holding, chief instruc- tor for aviation technical programs at BCIT. Holding cites a British company called Faradair Aerospace, which, like Harbour Air, flies short hauls. That airline reportedly hopes to have its electric planes certified by 2025. But Holding is already anticipating that these companies will have an impact on his curriculum. "We're right now starting to have that discussion, how we "In North America, aviation contributes 12 percent to the C02 that's emitted; globally it's anywhere between 2 and 4 percent. It's not something that's sustainable or some- thing that's OK, especially for the Pacific Northwest" –Roei Ganzarski, CEO, MagniX READY TO GO McDougall is slated to fly Harbour Air's first e-plane proto- type in November