Malmö Airport to become test arena for Heart Aerospace’s ES-30

Sweden’s state-owned airport operator, Swedavia has decided to make Malmö Airport available as a test arena for Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 electric aircraft. 

The full-scale model will be used to demonstrate taxiing and charging at the airport, with the help of Heart Aerospace, airlines BRA and SAS and Swedish battery developer, Northvolt. The project has also been co-financed to the tune of SEK 20m by Swedish innovation authority, Vinnova. The ELISE project to boost electric aviation in Sweden is the basis for the tests. The project was launched in 2018 to coordinate advances in domestic electric aviation.

Karin Öhrström, airport director at Malmö Airport, said: “As an airport operator, Swedavia continues to be an active partner in aviation’s necessary energy transition by being involved in and developing the electric aviation of the future. Malmö Airport is uniquely situated, given its proximity to mainland Europe, is the largest airport in southern Sweden and is focused on international cooperation, which provides exciting opportunities for electric aviation and makes the airport an ideal test arena for the continued development of Swedish electric aviation.”

Swedavia is taking part in a number of projects linked to promoting fossil-free aviation, such as the development of electric aircraft and – in the long term – hydrogen-fuelled aircraft. Today there are charging stations in place for electric aircraft at Visby and Åre Östersund Airports, among other airports. Previously, Swedavia was involved in a case study using electric aircraft for a route between Umeå and Åre Östersund airports, took part in the MODELflyg project and participated in the project Fossil-Free Aviation in Northern Sweden.

John Nilsson, strategic planning manager for electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft at Swedavia, said: “It is very gratifying that Swedavia can contribute with our pooled knowledge and skills in electric and battery-powered aircraft. Battery-powered aircraft will contribute to the energy transition and in the long term, all of Swedavia’s airports will provide infrastructure for handling electric aircraft. Naturally, it is important that we can be an arena for taxiing and charging tests, which we will conduct together with our partners.”