Electric aviation is seen as the best solution for decarbonizing air travel. Several startups are currently working to make this a reality, and some prototypes are already under development and testing.
The Swedish island of Gotland is aiming to become one of the first to officially allow electric aviation. Since the island is the most remote settlement in the Scandinavian country, its residents use ferries and regular flights to get to the mainland, The Major writes.
It is the remoteness and, at the same time, the proximity to the mainland that makes Gotland an ideal place to introduce and test the new electric aviation industry. Startups working on the development of electric aircraft are seeking to first conquer regional flight segments, in particular, domestic European flights.
At the end of June, the island’s regional authorities signed two agreements with two Scandinavian companies that are leaders in the field of electric aviation. These letters of intent will create roadmaps for the introduction of green aircraft into scheduled flights to and from the island by the end of the decade.
We are talking about two companies: Elfly Group (Norway) and Heart Aerospace (Sweden). The former has already developed a small 9-seater airplane called Noemi (from NO-EMIssions), which began testing this year on the Norwegian coast.
The Swedish startup is working hard to develop the first 30-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft (ES-30), which will enter regional flights by 2030. In Gothenburg, where the company is based, Seve Airport is waiting for the first hybrid-electric flight. Currently, the battery technology can keep the plane in the air for 32 kilometers, but Swedish researchers plan to increase this distance.
The cooperation between the Gotland region and the startups will focus on operational needs, technical requirements, ground infrastructure and maintenance, and business models.
