Aerial photo of Allinge in Denmark – half an hour's drive from Bornholm Airport.
Photo: iStock

This report aims to explore possible future scenarios for electric aviation in the five Nordic countries. Based on five selected regional contexts, the analysis delves into key context-specific driving forces affecting the future implementation of electric aviation. Furthermore, the analysis addresses the possible impacts, benefits and drawbacks of the implementation of electric aviation in the various regional contexts. Special emphasis is placed on evaluating the capacity of electric aviation to enhance connectivity between urban and rural areas. The report explores the potential benefits that may arise in terms of regional development, particularly in more remote areas, underscoring the role that electric aviation can play in fostering improved accessibility and development opportunities for such regions in line with the vision of the Nordic Council of Ministers 2030 (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2023).

Electric aviation has witnessed rapid development, with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certifying the first electric aircraft in June 2020 (EASA, 2020). Aircraft manufacturers and airline operators are increasingly optimistic that electric airplanes will be deployed on certain routes within five to ten years.

Electric aviation encompasses various aircraft types powered by electric engines, using battery or hydrogen storage systems. Battery-driven electric aircraft are considered most promising for the Nordic countries in the coming decades and challenges – including battery energy density, charging time, mineral extraction and safety issues – are being addressed through ongoing innovation and investment (Wendt-Lucas, 2023). Electrification of aviation promises environmental and climate benefits, in particular lower CO2 emissions and reduced local pollutants and noise (Adu-Gyamfi & Good, 2022). The widespread adoption of electric aviation can aid in the attainment of carbon reduction goals and ease compliance with blend-in requirements.

The Nordic region, with its many islands, extensive coastlines and remote areas, is considered an ideal testing ground for electric aviation. There are numerous short-distance routes with limited passenger volumes in this region and many such routes are currently subsidised as public service obligation (PSO) routes by national authorities (Löfving et al., 2023). Additionally, renewable energy sources account for a high share of electricity production in the Nordic region, further augmenting the potential advantages of implementing electric aviation. The Nordic countries are collectively committed to climate-neutral transport in line with the Paris Agreement and aim to pioneer the deployment of electric aircraft (Löfving et al., 2023). Iceland is actively working to electrify its domestic aircraft fleet, while Norway and Sweden have set targets for electric short-haul flights. Electric aviation initiatives are expanding across the region, with notable examples in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

Routes under 400 kilometres are considered the initial target market for electric aircraft in the Nordic region (Heart Aerospace, n.d.). In addition, shorter routes under 200 kilometres, particularly in sparsely populated areas, are under consideration. Norway, which has a significant number of such routes, is considered likely to benefit the most from electric aviation. Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Finland also have substantial potential for electric aviation on specific routes (Nordregio, 2022).

In ten years from now, electric aviation can become reality in the Nordic countries. Several development programmes are underway and Nordic countries are an ideal test bed for electric aircraft for several reasons, including their commitment to environmental sustainability, access to green energy, geographical characteristics and accessibility issues in many rural areas (Löfving et al., 2023). Nevertheless, numerous critical factors – ranging from technological issues, social acceptance and political commitment through to economic sustainability and the required regulations (Wendt-Lucas, 2023) – need to be considered.

Against that background, the case studies explored in this report aim to answer the following questions by considering a ten-year future scenario:

The report is structured as follows. Section 2 describes the adopted research design, methods and limitations of the research. Section 3 explores the ten-year future scenarios for electric aviation through the five selected case studies. Section 4 delves into the possible future impacts that the implementation of electric aviation might have in the selected regional contexts. Finally, section 5 offers some concluding reflections and Nordic learnings.