Heart Aerospace and the Government of Åland will collaborate to explore the use of Heart’s electric regional airplane, the ES-30, in developing sustainable air services for the Baltic Sea group of islands.
Åland is an autonomous part of Finland and is located in the Baltic Sea between two expansive economic regions, the south of Finland and the Stockholm region on Sweden’s east coast. Åland’s capital Mariehamn is less than 150 km from Stockholm and less than 300 km from Finland’s capital Helsinki, which makes it an ideal early use case for Heart Aerospace’s ES-30.
“This is a significant step in the development of the ES-30 as it allows us to focus on the operating infrastructure required in support of zero-emissions flying out of Mariehamn. We look forward to working together with the Government of Åland to make this a reality,” said Simon Newitt, Chief Commercial Officer at Heart Aerospace.
The ES-30 will have a fully electric zero-emissions range of 200 kilometres, an extended range of 400 km with 30 passengers and the flexibility to fly up to 800 km with 25 passengers, all including typical airline reserves.
Flight services are essential for Åland’s economic and social connection to nearby major cities on the mainlands. With a population of 30,000 people, Åland has a thriving business community with more than 2,800 enterprises, of which three are publicly traded.
“Åland has had a positive population trend for the past 50 years and continues to grow each year. As an island community, our flight connections are vital to us, but so is our environment. That is why quiet, zero-emission electric flights are highly interesting to us,” said Fredrik Karlström, Minister for Trade and Industry in the Government of Åland.
At present, Åland has three flight connections from Mariehamn to Stockholm, Sweden, and to Turku and Helsinki on the Finnish mainland.
(Image credit: Heart Aerospace)
