Crossing the Kvarken on electric power – a first

On Tuesday 7 July, an Elektra Trainer electric aircraft flies from Umeå to Vaasa as part of Oulu University of Applied Sciences’ North Circuit – From the Alps to the Arctic tour, a 5,600-kilometre journey from Bavaria to northern Finland and back. The Umeå stop takes place in the morning, with the aircraft landing at Vaasa Airport in the afternoon around 13:00 (weather permitting). Local organisers manage the programmes at both stops. This marks the first time a certified electric aircraft has crossed open sea.

The route carries historical weight. On 6 March 1918, Eric von Rosen and Nils Kindberg flew from Umeå to Vaasa in a Thulin Type D aircraft and donated it to Finland, a flight widely regarded as the birth of Finnish aviation. This year, the same crossing happens entirely on electric power.

This flight is not organised by the Kvarken Council or the FAIR projects, but it stands as concrete proof of the development the Kvarken Council has tracked, analysed and prepared the region for since 2019, through projects including FAIR, FAIR 2, New North and the now-launching FAIR 3.

Read more about the Vaasa event (VASEK): https://www.vasek.fi/sv/om-oss/kommunikation/nyheter/ny-flyghistoria-skrivs-i-vasa-elflygplan-korsar-oppet-hav
Learn about the North Circuit tour: https://oamk.fi/en/projects/saihke/north-circuit-aerial-tour/
Follow the flight live: https://electric-airport.eu/north-circuit2026/