NEA 1.0
NEA– Nordic Network for Electric Aviation's history began in 2019 with the dream of more sustainable aviation and an electric aviation industry. A network was established with players from all six Nordic countries. The report Business Models for Nordic Electric Aviation mapped out how the transition from today’s conventional aviation activities to the future’s electric operations will affect the industry, communities, passengers, and air transport markets. The report also maps out 20 potential routes which are attainable for electric aircrafts in the near future.
NEA 2.0 – make it happen
NEA 2.0 was the second phase of the project and launched in 2023 and ran to 2026. It naturally built on the experiences from the first phase and brought the focus from accelerating to making electric aviation a reality in the Nordics. The project worked with four overall goals within electric aviation: standardization, connectivity, Nordic context and co-creation. In order to reach the overall goals, NEA 2.0 will focus on the following cross-Nordic activities:
- Infrastructure and new technology: Prepare destinations for electric aircraft by mapping out necessary infrastructure changes
- Safety and security: Evaluate safety and security requirements, adapt and prepare requirements for electric aviation
- Decision support system: Create a decision support system for stakeholders to optimize infrastructure and operations for the future of electric aviation
- Communication and Government Affairs: Increase political and public awareness around electric aviation through communication activities
"NEA 2.0 will among other map and carry out necessary infrastructure changes, develop business models and evaluate safety and security requirements", sayed Nina Egeli, then Head of Program at Nordic Innovation.
NEA 3.0 – implementation and commercialization
NEA 3.0) is an industry-driven, cross-border collaboration that moves the Nordic electric aviation ecosystem from pilots and learning into scalable implementation and commercialization. NEA 3.0 will run from March 1st, 2026 to February 29th, 2029
The project targets three interdependent bottlenecks that must be solved in parallel:
1. Fly the aircraft,
2. Build the market,
3. Implement the infrastructure.
A unique strength is the consortium’s value-chain coverage, bringing together aircraft and ecosystem actors, airports and airport owners/operators, airlines, and regional/municipal innovation partners, enabling real-world validation and rapid adoption of results.
From March 2026 to February 2029, NEA 3.0 will produce a set of practical results. This includes a study on Nordic trade and a shared plan for test facilities and flight readiness, along with an updated version of the NEA Vision Tool. The tool will cover things like route and network simulations, how ready the infrastructure is, charging capacity, airport investment options, and funding and policy overviews.
The project will also create a Nordic guide for building the right infrastructure, including business models and ways to reduce financial risk. On top of that, there will be ready-made templates that regions and municipalities can use to get their local ecosystems up and running faster.
Finally, NEA 3.0 will set up a knowledge bank, an updated overview of relevant policies, and a concrete plan for how the work can continue after the project ends.
