FutureFlight
Airports in Sweden and Norway Offer Testbed For Electric Aircraft Developers
Test facilities are being offered with the support of the European Union-backed Green Flyway program.
Are Ostersund Airport
Are Ostersund Airport in central Sweden is home to a new test facility for electric aircraft that is supported by the European Union-backed Green Flyway program. [ Photo: Goran Strand]

Green Flyway, a European Union-backed project to advance the development of electric aviation, opened an international test center for new aircraft at Are Ostersund Airport in Sweden on October 1. The facility is available for use by aircraft manufacturers and companies developing supporting technology and services for environmentally sustainable aviation, and program partners will also able to use Roros Airport in neighboring Norway.

The program is intended as a testbed for electric aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, air traffic management, and supporting infrastructure. According to Are Ostersund Airport manager Peter Fahlen, the new facilities provide the opportunity for companies to conduct test flights in the uncongested airspace of central Sweden and Norway, as well as over water, forests, and mountains in both summer and winter conditions. Aircraft developers will be able to conduct point-to-point missions on the roughly 120-mile sector between Ostersund and Roros.