MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHIRJ) and Maeve Aerospace are collaborating on the Maeve M80, an 80-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft designed for missions up to 1,200 nautical miles. MHIRJ, which supports the legacy Bombardier CRJ program acquired in 2019, provides engineering and advisory services for the M80. The hybrid-electric proposition is still alive for the moment, but Rethink doesn’t see a market opening that won’t first be filled up by hydrogen aviation. Not only will such a design have to deal with the high prices of SAF, but it will also have to navigate the complex business case of having to replace its battery packs once their capacity degrades below a certain level, meaning a second, ground-based second-life application will have…