Hybrid-electric aircraft developer Electra said on August 27, 2026 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Helsinki and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences to study how its EL9 Ultra Short aircraft could open a Direct Aviation link across the Gulf of Finland between Helsinki and Tallinn.
Fifty miles, 7.5 million annual passengers
Helsinki and Tallinn sit only about 50 miles apart across the Gulf, yet the corridor already carries an estimated 7.5 million passengers a year via ferries and short-haul jets. Electra's nine-passenger EL9 is designed to take off and land in roughly 50 metres, meaning services could operate from small, low-noise access points closer to both city centres than conventional airports allow. Under the MOU, the three parties will run a structured feasibility study covering access-point design, passenger demand, operating economics, regulatory considerations and potential public-private partnership models. Findings are expected before the end of 2026, and Electra flagged the possibility of a demonstration flight of its existing EL2 Goldfinch technology aircraft pending future agreements.
Ultra-short takeoffs meet a European corridor
The EL9 uses blown-lift technology with eight distributed electric motors and four battery packs powered by a small turbogenerator, cruising at 175 knots with 3,000 pounds of payload for missions up to 330 nautical miles (1,100 nm ferry). Electra is developing the aircraft under FAA Part 23 with first flights planned for 2027 and service entry targeted for 2029. The company has already banked more than 2,100 orders worth over $8 billion from 52 operators.
Why Helsinki matters
The MOU expands Electra's European footprint alongside recent moves such as its wider push into next-generation mobility ecosystems and follows Electra's July 2026 selection of Safran for the EL9's TG600 turbogenerator. Advocates in Helsinki argue that a low-carbon regional link would relieve pressure on Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and Tallinn's terminal, while giving Haaga-Helia a platform to research demand for what Electra calls Direct Aviation - short hops using unconventional strips that mainline aircraft cannot reach.
Where it fits in the eVTOL and eSTOL race
The announcement lands as regulators worldwide accelerate frameworks for advanced air mobility. Related coverage on The Robotics Media includes our reports on Amazon Prime Air's 500-city expansion and Airbound's $37M Series A for rocket-like delivery drones. Whether ultra-short piloted aircraft can beat eVTOLs to commercial regional service will depend heavily on studies like the Helsinki-Tallinn effort.
Reporting based on coverage from Urban Air Mobility News, AVweb, Zag Daily, PR Newswire and Electra.