Electra, the City of Helsinki and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences have signed a memorandum of understanding to assess a possible hybrid-electric air service between Helsinki and Tallinn using Electra’s Ultra Short aircraft. The study will examine whether direct aviation across the Gulf of Finland can support a faster city-centre-to-city-centre option, with compact access points replacing conventional airport use for a route that could take under an hour.
The partners will assess access-point design, passenger demand, operating economics, regulatory issues and potential public-private partnership models. The feasibility work is due to conclude by the end of 2026, and the agreement also leaves open the possibility of a future flight demonstration with Electra’s EL2 technology demonstrator if further approvals are secured.
Helsinki and Tallinn are about 80 kilometres apart and generate around 7.5 million passenger journeys a year, creating a sizeable test case for short-haul regional flying. The project is intended to inform infrastructure planning and commercial models for Electra’s Direct Aviation concept, while also gauging demand from residents, businesses and visitors on both sides of the Gulf of Finland.