Airports Ready for Takeoff: BERTL Project Finds Strong Support for Electric Aviation Infrastructure

New report shows regional airports are open to adapting infrastructure to support electric aircraft — creating powerful opportunities for sustainable transformation.

The BERTL project (Battery Wing for Regional Electric Transport Aircraft) has just released its latest report, revealing widespread willingness among regional airports to adapt their infrastructure for electric aviation — a development that paves the way for the future of clean, short-haul air travel in Europe.

As proud project leads for BERTL, which we led in collaboration with Bauhaus Luftfahrt and Technical University of Munich (TUM), Vaeridion played a leading role in shaping and conducting the airport interviews, ensuring that the report captured the real-world operational and infrastructural perspectives of airports across Germany and neighbouring countries.  

The insights are promising:

• All participating airports expressed interest in integrating electric aircraft, with 75% confident they could do so within the next five years.
• The findings show a clear trend: airports are not only willing to adapt — many see electric aviation as an opportunity to reposition themselves as sustainable energy and mobility hubs. Investments in renewable energy, smart grid upgrades, and battery storage are viewed as essential — not just to support aviation, but to build long-term resilience and economic opportunity.

The BERTL project, funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, was carried out in collaboration with Bauhaus Luftfahrt, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and the Interessengemeinschaft der regionalen Flugplätze (IDRF). Bauhaus Luftfahrt led the research and technical design exploration, contributing valuable insights on scalability, airport integration, and the sustainability of electric aircraft concepts. IDRF played a crucial role in organizing discussions and connecting us with regional airports, supporting the project with their continuous engagement in deploying innovative solutions.

“Electric Regional Air Mobility has the potential to reconnect underserved regions while drastically reducing emissions,” said Ivor van Dartel. “This report shows that airports — large and small — are not just open to the idea; they are actively looking for ways to make it work.”

With strong alignment between regional airport operators, technical innovators, and visionary investors, the future of electric regional aviation is fast approaching — and the runway is looking clear.