JSX has signed a deposit-backed purchase agreement for 50 Heart Aerospace ES-36 hybrid-electric aircraft, with purchase rights for 50 more, the two companies announced on September 23, 2026. The deal lands as JSX's turboprop fleet has grown to four ATR 42-600s, up from two in January. Both aircraft types point the same way: smaller airports, including California fields JSX already flies from and the high-altitude Mountain West airports that ATR says an FAA-approved modification opens to its turboprop.
None of this changes a booking today. The ES-36 targets entry into service in 2031. But if you fly JSX out of Santa Monica, Napa or the Bay Area, or you've been watching for more Colorado flying, here's what the announcements actually say and what JSX's map looks like right now.
What JSX and Heart Aerospace Announced
According to Heart Aerospace's September 23 announcement, the ES-36 is a 36-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner and Heart's production aircraft. It replaces the earlier ES-30 design, going from four propellers to two.
JSX's agreement converts its 2023 letter of intent with Heart into a deposit-backed purchase commitment and secures early delivery positions. The companies also say they'll work together on cabin configuration, charging and turnaround procedures, route planning and airport readiness.
Heart's figures for the aircraft:
- An all-electric range of 125 miles (200 kilometers), plus reserves, on ground-charged batteries.
- A hybrid range of 745 miles (1,200 kilometers), plus reserves, using a turbogenerator in each of its two powertrains.
- A 95-foot wingspan, which Heart says suits busy regional airfields with limited ramp and hangar space.
- Operating costs targeted at least 40 percent below legacy regional aircraft, per Heart CTO Ben Stabler.
"JSX is proud to back the development of the next-generation aircraft that will deliver the best travel experience for our Customers, expand the destinations available to them, and strengthen our business," JSX CEO Alex Wilcox said in the release.
The timeline is long. Heart is building its first pre-production ES-36 at its pilot plant in Los Angeles, targeting first flight in the second half of 2028 and entry into service in 2031, following FAA Part 25 certification.
Which Airports the ES-36 Is Meant For
The release names the kind of airport JSX has in mind. It says the ES-36 is well suited to growing service at community airports JSX already serves, "including Santa Monica, Westchester County, Naples and Napa Valley," with short-field performance for constrained airfields.
It also pitches the aircraft's all-electric operations, with zero emissions and lower noise, as a way to address community concerns that can limit service. Santa Monica is the first airport on that list. For what's happening with JSX there, see our piece on JSX's Santa Monica to Oakland route and the airport's 2028 closure.
JSX's Turboprop Fleet Today
The ES-36 is years out. The turboprop JSX flies now is the ATR 42-600, which JSX's fleet page calls "the newest addition to our fleet." JSX lists it at 30 customers in 10 rows of three seats, with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M turboprops, a 334 MPH cruise speed and free Starlink Wi-Fi.
The count has grown this year. In January, ATR's announcement of the Santa Monica ceremony described JSX's fleet as 51 Embraer jets and 2 ATR turboprops, and said JSX began flying its first ATR 42-600 in December on the Santa Monica to Las Vegas route. The September Heart release describes JSX's fleet as 56 ERJ-family aircraft and 4 ATR 42-600s, serving 29 airports.
The ATR is also JSX's route into the mountains. ATR said in January that it had secured FAA approval for a modification allowing operations at high-altitude airports, "to enable JSX's long-term strategy of reaching underserved, challenging airports across the Mountain West." The two companies signed a letter of intent for up to 25 ATR aircraft at the 2025 Paris Air Show.
California and Colorado on JSX's Map Now
JSX's Where We Fly page lists these California destinations: Burbank, Carlsbad/San Diego, Concord/East Bay, Los Angeles, Monterey/Carmel, Napa, Oakland, Orange County/Santa Ana and Santa Monica.
In Colorado, it lists Denver and Gunnison/Crested Butte. JSX's Denver page says Centennial Airport (APA), south of the city, is its home, with valet parking listed at $45 a day. For Gunnison/Crested Butte, JSX describes "seasonal service from Dallas, with an easy 1-stop option from Austin."
JSX serves its markets from private terminals, and its About Us page says customers can arrive 20 minutes before domestic flights.
What This Means for Your Travel
For now, very little changes. JSX started flying the ATR from Santa Monica in December 2025, and the ES-36 is a 2031 aircraft on Heart's own schedule. Treat the Heart deal as a signal of where JSX wants to fly, not as a route you can plan around.
If you fly JSX regularly, the practical move is the loyalty side. JSX says Club JSX is free to join and earns you 5% in Rewards, and our guide to how the Club JSX loyalty program works covers what earns and how long credits last. If you're weighing JSX against a standard airline for a short hop, our comparison of flights where you skip the main TSA line explains how JSX's private-terminal screening works.
JSX's Where We Fly page is the place to check for new destinations as its ATR fleet grows.
Sources
- Heart Aerospace: Heart Aerospace unveils ES-36 with JSX purchase agreement for up to 100 aircraft (September 23, 2026)
- ATR: JSX starts ATR public charter operations (January 13, 2026)
- JSX: Our fleet
- JSX: Where we fly
- JSX: Denver (APA)
- JSX: Gunnison/Crested Butte (GUC)
- JSX: About us
- JSX: This Is How We Fly
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