As crises become more frequent—from pandemics and wildfires to military tensions—aviation’s role in preparedness and response is entering a new era. The report Morgondagens Flyg underscores this evolution, describing how drones, eVTOLs, and hybrid-electric aircraft can become pillars of national resilience.
Sweden’s 27 designated contingency airports already provide geographic redundancy for emergencies. But new aerial systems can reach further, faster, and more flexibly. Drones equipped for emergency deliveries or damage assessment can operate in disaster zones. eVTOLs can shuttle personnel or evacuate patients in ways that traditional road or rotorcraft services cannot match in speed or cost.
As of 2025, Sweden has further aligned with NATO crisis readiness standards, following its formal entry into the alliance in 2023. This includes a reinforced focus on dual-use infrastructure—where civilian airports, aerial platforms, and communication systems can be rapidly converted for defence or crisis response. According to MSB (the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency), investments are increasing in remote-operated systems that support “totalförsvar” (Sweden’s total defence concept), particularly in rural and northern regions.
Morgondagens Flyg argues that this is the right moment to embed aerial mobility in the national preparedness strategy. That means formalising the role of eVTOLs and drones in emergency logistics, investing in interoperable command-and-control systems, and equipping regional actors—especially municipalities—with the tools to act quickly when crises strike.
Resilience is no longer just a military matter. It’s a civil, digital, and aerial mission. And the future of crisis mobility may lie not on roads, but in the sky.
How can we best harness aerial technology to strengthen our civil crisis preparedness—before the next crisis strikes?
This article builds on the report Morgondagens Flyg (The Aviation of Tomorrow), created by Transportföretagen and Aero EDIH.
