UK aircraft manufacturer BAE Systems has announced that it is designing a series of electric power sources for a future generation of electric urban mobility aircraft.

The company says that it is developing systems that pair flight controls with its aircraft power management and energy systems.

BAE Systems expects to have operational prototypes of aircraft electrification systems for urban air mobility and regional transport jets later in 2020.

The company is also working with Jaunt Air Mobility and with Wright Electric on electric systems for flight. With Jaunt Air Mobility, the two companies are exploring new concepts and approaches in urban air mobility. BAE Systems’ collaboration with Wright Electric includes work on an electric hybrid system and controls for its 186-seater aircraft.

The new electric systems the company is working on are designed to cut flight emissions, and help operators save fuel. They will also help develop new modes of transport, potentially helping reduce congestion and pollution in busy urban centres.

BAE Systems says that its work on new electric flight systems builds on forty years of development of aerial eletrification technology by the company.

As part of its efforts, BAE Systems is making new investments in developing battery technology to make it applicable for flight. This includes battery performance that can last millions of travel miles, an improvement of almost 100 times current performance.