Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) has hosted a ceremonial electric flight to Germany to celebrate the partnership between the countries’ aerospace centres.

Pilots from both the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) flew the Pipistrel Velis Electro (PH-NLX), the NLR’s aircraft used to conduct research in electric aviation, out of MST to Merzbruck Airport.

The NLR and the DLR are combining forces to pave the way forward in the areas of electric flying, unmanned aerial systems, and lifecycle engineering.

Today, the electric flight out of Maastricht Aachen Airport points to the future of the airport as it invests in more sustainable aviation.

It follows Maastricht’s signing of an MOU last week committing to the development of electric Regional Air Mobility (eRAM), together with 17 other aviation organisations working under the umbrella of the Dutch initiative, Power Up.

Maastricht, along with other Dutch airports, will work to facilitate new innovations in e-flying by developing the required landside infrastructure.

“At our airport, we stand at the crossroads of ambition and eco-consciousness,” said Sustainability and Innovation Manager, Maastricht Aachen Airport, Roel Ubaghs.

“By collaborating with other Dutch airports and partners in e-aviation, we are getting ready for this new and green future for both passengers and cargo.

“This will be especially ground-breaking for the transport of time-critical, high-end cargo such as medical equipment and machinery parts.”

This year, Royal Schiphol Group finalized a landmark deal to purchase a 40 percent stake in MST to future-proof the regional airport through joint investment in key areas, such as sustainable flying.