KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – GE Aerospace and BETA Technologies have completed what they describe as the world’s first hybrid-electric assisted takeoff using a modified Saab 340B, designed to operate at commercial airliner altitudes.

The test was conducted recently at BETA’s flight test facility in Plattsburgh, N.Y. GE Aerospace announced the achievement Wednesday during Up.Summit, an industry event focused on emerging transportation and technology, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The aircraft used a conventional GE Aerospace CT7 gas engine on its left side and a modified hybrid-electric propulsion system on the right.

During takeoff, electric motors and a battery system supplied additional power to the conventional gas engine to provide the thrust required, GE Aerospace said. The hybrid-electric system is a fully integrated megawatt-class, multi-kilovolt propulsion system, it said.

Previous flight tests by the two companies demonstrated electric power assistance during climb and cruise, as well as power regeneration during cruise and descent.

Initial observations from the latest test indicated that the hybrid-electric assisted takeoff produced less noise than operation using gas engines alone.

“GE Aerospace is advancing the building blocks that will define the future of hybrid electric flight, now successfully demonstrating a more efficient commercial takeoff with a hybrid electric system,” said Arjan Hegeman, GE Aerospace vice president of future of flight engineering.

Hybrid-electric propulsion is being developed alongside other advanced engine technologies through the CFM RISE technology demonstration program, which includes an Open Fan engine architecture.

The technology was also on display at the Farnborough International Airshow in July.