Finavia: ‘The first electric passenger aircraft will fly on a domestic route by the end of the 2020s’

The Finnish airport operator recently joined the NEA – a group of airport operators, airlines and start-ups – to accelerate the introduction of electric aviation in the Nordic countries.

Henri Hansson, technical director at Finavia, said: “Electric-powered aircraft will likely be a vital part of tackling the environmental challenges of the aviation industry. As an airport operator, we want to find out what kind of development electric flying will require from our airports.

“I believe that in Finland, the first electric passenger aircraft will fly on a domestic route by the end of the 2020s. If a clean method such as wind or solar power is used to produce the necessary electricity, the electric aircraft of the future could fly completely emission-free. Electric aircraft will be suited especially for short routes.”

Finavia has been funding fully electric aircraft for two years, with a successful test flight taking place at Helsinki’s Malmi airport in summer 2018.