Company eyes plans to take its E-Fan electric aircraft to production phase.

The E-Fan, Airbus Group’s all-electric general aviation training aircraft, was honored with the prestigious Personal Aircraft Design Academy (PADA) award and trophy on August 1 at the AirVenture Oshkosh Airshow here. The PADA Trophy is awarded each year by the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation to the world’s best personal aircraft designers and engineers.

The two-seater training aircraft, developed by Airbus Group Innovations – the corporate research and technology network of Airbus Group – received the PADA award for its demonstrated commitment to advancing technology for future aircraft and research in the field of electric aircraft.

In accepting the award, John O’Leary, Vice President of Engineering at Airbus Americas Engineering, Inc. noted, “Throughout Airbus Group we are exceedingly proud and honored to be recognized by CAFE Foundation for the design and technology behind the E-Fan.”

“We believe the E-Fan represents the future of aviation and this award solidly reinforces our belief and commitment.”

The E-Fan is an integral part of Airbus Group´s plan for developing its vision of the future of aviation. The successful public flight test of the E-Fan demonstrator in April, 2014 marked a milestone in the research and design work by Airbus Group Innovations toward more electric and hybrid aviation.

The aircraft was also successfully demonstrated at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK before tens of thousands of attendees.

Next steps for the E-Fan design team involve ensuring the development, certification and production of the aircraft, for which a production concept, the E-Fan 2.0, has been proposed by Airbus Group and its partners.

PADA is part of the CAFE Foundation, a U.S. non-profit aviation development and flight test organization. The organization supports experimental aviation activities which promote the development of highly efficient aircraft.

Past recipients of the PADA award include Elbert “Burt” Rutan, designer of the record-breaking Voyager aircraft – the first plane to fly around the world non-stop without refueling.

Airbus Group Press release