How the Nordics are building the future of electric aviation
Insights from a conversation with Maria Fiskerud, Project Manager for Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA) at Heart Aerospace.
In a conversation with Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying about the future of sustainable aviation, Maria Fiskerud, Project Manager for Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA) at Heart Aerospace, presents a compelling vision of how the region is catalysing the transition to zero-emission flight. As one of the architects of the NEA, Fiskerud finds herself at the intersection of policy, industry collaboration, and technological innovation.
The Nordic countries have set some of the world’s most aggressive targets for aviation sustainability. Norway aims for all short-haul flights to be operated by electric aircraft by 2040, while Sweden targets fossil-free domestic flights by 2030, says Fiskerud. Most Nordic countries have set 2045 as their deadline for zero-emission aviation.
The foundation: building the Nordic ecosystem
Fiskerud’s journey in sustainable aviation began in 2014 when she became the Nordic director for SkyNRG and established the Fly Green Fund, a non-profit “offering individuals, businesses and public organisations a more sustainable way of flying through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)”. She then went on to work for The Research Institute of Sweden, and with the Swedish government, to help develop an innovation cluster for sustainable aviation.
The cluster addressed a critical market disconnect: airlines wanted to use SAF but were uncertain about costs, while fuel companies were ready to produce SAF but remained unclear about pricing. “They all said they wanted to do it. So I thought if we gather them all in the same room, then they need to find a solution, because they all say that they have the same goals”, Fiskerud explains.
🎧 Listen to the conversation with Maria here:
The Nordic Network for Electric Aviation
Established in 2018, the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA) initially focused on developing standards for electric aviation, drawing inspiration from the Nordic region’s successful experience with telecommunications standards, as well as, weather-related issues.
“We have been joking about it and said that if we can make it work here with the weather we have, then you can make it everywhere in the world”, Fiskerud notes, highlighting how the harsh Nordic climate serves as an ideal testing ground.
NEA’s scope has since expanded to address the Nordics’ unique regional challenges, including the Nordic governments to work more with demand, financial, regulation and policy.
The business case for sustainable aviation
The push for electric aviation in the Nordics is driven by practical business needs, particularly from export industries.
“We have a lot of export industries. And a lot of our industries are green, or sustainable. And [sustainability] is one of their unique selling points”, Fiskerud explains.
Given the nature of their business, such companies require zero-emission travel options to maintain their environmental credentials and meet their scope three emission targets, she adds.
The regional geography presents unique challenges and opportunities. “Our countries are vast, and domestic flights tend to be quite long,” Fiskerud notes. To put this in perspective, she explains that flying from the southern to northern parts of Nordic countries is equivalent to flying the length of Italy.
A regional approach to sustainable aviation could offer significant advantages, says Fiskerud. “When we work together in the Nordics, we’re actually the 12th [largest] economy in the world. So then we get some power and can get some work done”, she adds. This collective strength enables the region to implement more ambitious initiatives and attract investment in sustainable aviation technologies. Current efforts of the NEA focus on finding business models that can support point-to-point connections rather than the traditional hub-and-spoke system.
Infrastructure development and implementation
Unlike the challenges faced in implementing electric car charging networks, aviation infrastructure development benefits from predictability.
“If you compare it to Tesla chargers, Tesla chargers and cars can stop and drive almost everywhere and you need chargers all over. But we know where we have the airfields, so we know where we need the chargers,” Fiskerud says.
This fixed-location advantage simplifies planning, though Fiskerud acknowledges broader energy challenges: “There’s so many of us that want and need the energy and electricity in the future for everything we want to do in the name of sustainability. So we need to think really carefully so we use it in the best way.”
Policy innovation and government support
Recent policy developments demonstrate strong government commitment, says Fiskerud. For example, Norway has allocated one billion Norwegian kroner for hydrogen and electric aviation research and development. Denmark is also exploring ways to redirect aviation taxes towards implementing new technology.
The NEA has also drawn up a report commissioned by the Nordic ministers, which seeks to assess and map the progress of electric aviation across the Nordic countries. It also aims to explore opportunities for increased collaboration with governments and policymakers to accelerate the development of electric aviation in the region. The report is also examining innovative funding mechanisms, including adapting the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) mechanisms for aviation.
Challenges and future outlook
The Nordics are the region with the highest share of renewable energy, giving them a unique advantage in the global transition to sustainable aviation, says Fiskerud. She believes that this makes the Nordics an ideal location to start developing electric aviation, as the renewable energy infrastructure is already in place.
While innovation funding is readily available, scaling up remains a significant challenge. “It’s easier to get money for innovations than for scale-up. So that’s where we need to see the effort now,” Fiskerud explains.
The future of aviation will require a mix of solutions. “We’re going to need SAF, we’re going to need hydrogen, we’re going to need electric aviation... They serve different purposes,” she says. Success in electric aviation will also depend on continued development of renewable energy infrastructure, Fiskerud adds.
A global perspective
The Nordic experience offers valuable insights for other regions, particularly those with developing aviation markets.
“Only 20% of us have been flying. The remaining 80% out there in the world that have not flown yet,” Fiskerud points out, suggesting a unique opportunity for developing regions to bypass traditional fossil fuel aviation infrastructure entirely and leapfrog to electric aviation.
As Fiskerud summarises, sustainable aviation is “a licence to continue to fly”. The Nordic approach, combining government support, industry collaboration, and technological innovation, provides a helpful roadmap for achieving this goal. While challenges remain, particularly in scaling up technologies and ensuring renewable energy supply, the foundations for electric aviation are being laid today in the Nordic countries.