Aircraft startup Wright Electric wants to use electric planes for flights in the Middle East

Short-haul electric flights throughout the Middle East to take off in next two decades.
 By 
Sasha Lekach
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Electric aircraft startup Wright Electric aims to carry passengers on battery-powered flights within the next 20 years. Now, business travelers in the Middle East may soon be able to partake in the company's aggressive flight plans.

Flight support company Jetex recently announced a new partnership with Los Angeles-based Wright Electric. The companies have committed to flying electric private planes on short 300-mile or shorter trips from cities like Dubai, Muscat, Malaga, and Casablanca -- all on a single charge.

The only catch: The first such flight may be as far as 10 years away.

The partnership announced Monday comes six months after Wright announced it was teaming up with budget airline EasyJet to fly all-electric passenger planes within the next decade.

Wright Electric CEO Jeff Engler said in a phone call Monday that many Jetex flights are short distances and frequent, which is perfect for its electric planes' future abilities.

"Electric motors are very good at short bursts of power," Engler said.

The company will start building charging infrastructure in Dubai and eventually could set up in 30 locations where Jetex operates.

The electric plane manufacturer is also looking into a smaller nine-seater plane which could come to market quicker than full 150-seat passenger planes. These smaller planes would serve private travelers and the ski-diving industry to get divers to altitude quicker.

For anyone booking business travel between Middle Eastern cities give it a solid decade or two before that trip is fully electric.

Mashable Image
Sasha Lekach

Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Southwest is having its first sale of the year: Up to 30% off flights between Jan. and May
Southwest airplane on gray, blue, purple, and orange backdrop

Airline travel prices are surging: How you can book cheaper flights this week
JetBlue, Southwest, Sprit, Frontier app logos in a line with blue background

Volvo teases EX60 electric SUV with massive range and fast charging
The Volvo EX60 sitting on a road at sunset, partially obscured.

This Texas startup believes AI can identify and stop mass shooters
Members of the FBI on scene after a mass shooting in Austin, Texas in March 2026.


More in Tech

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!