Electric flying could work for regional mobility in Europe

Flying between the 3,000 regional European airports using electric aircraft could eventually make interregional mobility sustainable and climate neutral.

To achieve this goal, the Electric Flying Connection (EFC), a partnership with more than thirty parties, applied to the National Growth Fund of The Netherlands with a plan for new emission-free mobility with electric flying. Out of a total investment of nearly 200 million euros, the coalition requests 147 million from the fund to make the sustainable flying dream come true.

Most of the funding will have to go to companies developing new technology for electric aircraft, such as test systems, production tools, materials, components, and facilities for training and the hubs. In their application letter, the parties claim that the program would give the Netherlands a leading position in the field of emission-free mobility through electric flying.

The coalition’s big goal is clear, InnovationOrigins reports. “By combining rail and road infrastructure with regional airports, we can create fast door-to-door connections within all of Europe in four hours,” explained EFC president Jurjen de Jong. “And with the addition of battery-electric aircraft in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, and IT, truly emission-free travel will become a reality.”