GE Aerospace has pushed hybrid-electric aviation into new territory after completing the first flight of a hybrid-electric aircraft above 30,000 feet, a milestone that moves electrified propulsion closer to commercial aviation. The demonstration took place ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow in partnership with NASA, BETA Technologies and Boeing. Hybrid system tested The record-setting campaign centered on GE Aerospace’s megawatt-class, multi-kilovolt hybrid-electric propulsion system, developed under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) program. Unlike fully electric aircraft, hybrid-electric propulsion combines a conventional gas turbine with an electric powertrain. Earlier milestones included megawatt-class propulsion tests inside NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed, which simulated flights at altitudes up to 45,000 feet.