Official Launch of the EU-Funded EXAELIA Project

The EXAELIA project, funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, was officially launched with its Kick-off Meeting held on 22 January 2025 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Hosted by the coordinating organisation NLR (Netherlands Aerospace Centre), the event brought together 55 participants from 13 countries.
The meeting was honoured by the presence of Nicolas Giubbini, Project Officer from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), and Michael Kyriakopoulos from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD).

EXAELIA focus on disruptive long range aircraft was highlighted, complementary to current mainstream European research and innovation on regional and short-medium range aircraft. They welcomed the start of this flagship project.

During the meeting, the consortium presented its approach to evaluating flying testbeds that are essential for de-risking the development of future long-range aircraft concepts. EXAELIA’s overarching objective is to contribute to the acceleration of aviation’s transition towards climate neutrality by 2050.

As part of the event, participants also had the opportunity to visit the DNW – German-Dutch Wind Tunnels – including the HST and SST wind tunnel facilities.

To learn more about the EXAELIA project and follow its progress, stay connected via our dedicated communication channels.