Electric aircraft Velis Electro by Ajdovščina-based ultralight aircraft maker Pipistrel has been granted an airworthiness exemption by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing the aircraft to be used in the US for flight training.

Velis Electro, the world's first commercially available, type-certified electric aircraft, offers a cheaper and more sustainable learning platform for pilots in training.

The aircraft also offers pilots experience with propulsion systems of the next generation, Pipistrel wrote in a press release announcing the FAA's decision on 6 March.

The aircraft is quiet, producing noise levels of only 60 decibels, low cost and user-friendly, making it an ideal solution for flight training with zero carbon emissions.

"The FAA exemption is an important milestone on the journey to sustainable flight. We are proud of our team and of what we have achieved towards creating the future for electric and sustainable aviation, globally," Pipistrel CEO Gabriel Massey was quoted as saying.

Founded by Ivo Boscarol in 1989 as the first and sole private aircraft maker in the former Yugoslavia, Pipistrel, has delivered more than 2,500 light aircraft worldwide to date. Boscarol sold the company to US aviation company Textron in 2022.