The potential of Electric Aviation in Finnish Lapland
Van Boxtel, Martijn (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024111528312
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024111528312
Tiivistelmä
Electric- and hybrid electric aircraft under development are expected to enter the market in upcoming years. This thesis aims to give insight into the potential electric aviation has to improve the accessibility of Lapland.
In this thesis the state of the industry of electric aviation and typical use cases are assessed using foresight methods of horizon scanning and thematic literature study. The findings are projected on the region of study, Lapland, in a case-study identifying potential use cases in Lapland and comparting those to other modes of transport to evaluate the potential to improve accessibility of the region.
Most relevant developments in electric aviation are the electric- and hybrid electric regional aircraft and the eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft. They are characterized by their small size, 5-19 passengers, and short range of approximately 400 km. The operating costs of electric aircraft are expected to be much lower compared to conventional aircraft which makes it possible to operate on low-density routes that are not economically viable for conventional aircraft.
The theoretical framework explores the concept of accessibility and the role of airports therein. The accessibility of Lapland is characterized by long distances and limited travel options. Aviation only plays a role in accessibility from outside the region, but not within the region. Electric aviation use cases in Lapland are point-to-point flights between Lapland airports, regional hub-and-spoke network and off-airport connections with eVTOL aircraft.
Example routes from Ivalo are evaluated and compared to other modes of transport in terms of travel time and travel costs. The findings are that electric aviation technologies currently under development are suitable for application in the Lapland region. There is a potential to significantly reduce travel times when operating on point-to-point routes between Lapland airports and when connecting traffic to other destinations facilitated at a regional hub in Rovaniemi. With the current knowledge of the cost levels, such services can compete with other modes of transportation. Off-airport connections with eVTOL aircraft to remote villages can also bring time savings, but only at very high costs.
Conclusion is that electric flights can improve both the connectivity within the region and improve connections between Lapland and elsewhere, thus improving the accessibility. However, the low population density implies challenging market attractiveness and high risk for any potential operator. Therefor it is unlikely that the region will be among the first where electric aviation will be introduced. This combined with the uncertainties in the technological developments that remain, the conclusion is that electric aviation has the potential to improve the accessibility of Lapland and the mobility within Lapland, but when this potential can be capitalized remains uncertain.
In this thesis the state of the industry of electric aviation and typical use cases are assessed using foresight methods of horizon scanning and thematic literature study. The findings are projected on the region of study, Lapland, in a case-study identifying potential use cases in Lapland and comparting those to other modes of transport to evaluate the potential to improve accessibility of the region.
Most relevant developments in electric aviation are the electric- and hybrid electric regional aircraft and the eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft. They are characterized by their small size, 5-19 passengers, and short range of approximately 400 km. The operating costs of electric aircraft are expected to be much lower compared to conventional aircraft which makes it possible to operate on low-density routes that are not economically viable for conventional aircraft.
The theoretical framework explores the concept of accessibility and the role of airports therein. The accessibility of Lapland is characterized by long distances and limited travel options. Aviation only plays a role in accessibility from outside the region, but not within the region. Electric aviation use cases in Lapland are point-to-point flights between Lapland airports, regional hub-and-spoke network and off-airport connections with eVTOL aircraft.
Example routes from Ivalo are evaluated and compared to other modes of transport in terms of travel time and travel costs. The findings are that electric aviation technologies currently under development are suitable for application in the Lapland region. There is a potential to significantly reduce travel times when operating on point-to-point routes between Lapland airports and when connecting traffic to other destinations facilitated at a regional hub in Rovaniemi. With the current knowledge of the cost levels, such services can compete with other modes of transportation. Off-airport connections with eVTOL aircraft to remote villages can also bring time savings, but only at very high costs.
Conclusion is that electric flights can improve both the connectivity within the region and improve connections between Lapland and elsewhere, thus improving the accessibility. However, the low population density implies challenging market attractiveness and high risk for any potential operator. Therefor it is unlikely that the region will be among the first where electric aviation will be introduced. This combined with the uncertainties in the technological developments that remain, the conclusion is that electric aviation has the potential to improve the accessibility of Lapland and the mobility within Lapland, but when this potential can be capitalized remains uncertain.