EVE AIR Academy Ships are 13 free, pre-fitted ships available through the new Academy Ship service at stations across Exordium in EVE Online. Introduced with the Fractured Skies expansion on 10 November 2026, they let new players try combat, exploration and mining without having to buy and fit a different starter ship every time.
They’re training ships, not free stock for the market. EVE AIR Academy Ships have restrictions that prevent them from being traded or taken out into the wider economy. Once you find a setup you enjoy, you can use the service to buy a normal market version of the ship and its equipment.
How to claim EVE AIR Academy Ships for free
- Travel to or remain in Exordium, the game’s dedicated Starter Space area.
- Dock at a station offering the AIR Academy Ships service.
- Open the Academy Ships interface and browse the 13 available pre-fitted options.
- Pick a ship based on the activity you want to learn, such as combat, exploration or mining.
- Use the service to board the free Academy version and head out into Exordium to practise.
EVE AIR Academy Ships already come fitted, so you do not need to assemble a complete module loadout first. The selection introduces different empire styles, weapons, defences and ranges. It is a quick way to learn whether you enjoy that type of piloting before sinking your first serious savings into a normal hull.
Are EVE AIR Academy Ships really free?
Yes. EVE AIR Academy Ships cost no ISK, so you can test unfamiliar hulls before buying your own. You can swap between different Academy Ships while in Exordium. They are an educational service with restrictions, though, and are not an unlimited source of hulls that can be reprocessed for resources or sold to other players.
EVE AIR Academy Ships and their supplied modules and charges cannot be traded or reprocessed. You cannot repackage them, move them into a normal ship maintenance bay or cargo container, or obtain salvage from their wrecks. Those restrictions are there so the system can remain useful for beginners without feeding free equipment into the player economy.
Where can you fly EVE AIR Academy Ships?
AIR Academy Ships are designed for Exordium, though CCP’s detailed notes also permit their use in the Abyss. They cannot pass out of Exordium through the Yulai stargate or the listed Shipcaster routes to Mondaekus, Ichorah, Dettisolin and Tatrys. Outside the permitted area, the Academy ships cannot undock or warp.
You cannot eject from an Academy Ship either. The game will display an explanation if you attempt a restricted move and will offer a route to buy the equivalent standard ship and fitting. That is the way to take your preferred playstyle into the wider cluster rather than trying to haul an Academy hull out in another ship.
How to buy the standard version of an Academy Ship
In the EVE AIR Academy Ships service, choose Buy Standard Version. This opens Multibuy with normal market versions of the selected ship, equipment, ammunition and any drones. Market prices and availability apply, so the cost can be different from one station or region to another.
The option is particularly handy after you have tried a setup and want to use something similar outside Starter Space. Buying a standard version does not remove your Academy Ship. You are purchasing ordinary items separately, which can then be fitted and flown under the normal rules of EVE Online.
How many EVE AIR Academy Ships are there?
There are 13 EVE AIR Academy Ships in the first selection, across three roles. CCP confirms that you can claim any faction’s Academy Ships regardless of your character’s own faction:
| Role | Academy Ship choices |
|---|---|
| Combat (8) | Academy Merlin, Academy Kestrel, Academy Incursus, Academy Tristan, Academy Punisher, Academy Tormentor, Academy Rifter, Academy Breacher |
| Exploration (4) | Academy Heron, Academy Imicus, Academy Magnate, Academy Probe |
| Mining (1) | Academy Venture |
You can have one Academy Ship at a time. Claiming another removes your previous Academy Ship and its supplied Academy equipment. Any player-added cargo or standard equipment is returned to your inventory, rather than being deleted with the free fitting. The Ship Tree highlights ships with Academy versions, and the Academy service links to their standard counterparts.
For exploration, see how scanning and hacking feel. For mining, try the Venture’s equipment. For combat, pay attention to each hull’s range, weapon type and defence. The point is to learn through short flights, not to collect all thirteen ships in a hangar at once.
What happened to the AIR Career Program?
Fractured Skies also moves the AIR Career Program into the wider Achievements system, accessible through the NEOCOM. It now features 78 achievements across its career milestones and related activities, including titles connected to completing individual careers and the programme as a whole.
CCP confirms that veteran pilots who completed the old Career Program can participate again and receive rewards when they complete it in the new system. That is separate from whether a particular Academy Ship can be repeatedly claimed without restrictions. The achievement change does not turn the free ships into tradable rewards.
Can returning players use the ships?
The service is intended to help new players in Exordium, and the Academy system is tied to that location. Returning pilots who go back to Starter Space can inspect the service and use the newer achievements, but they should not treat these limited ships as replacements for regular, fully usable hulls elsewhere in New Eden.
For a first session with a friend, you can both try a few Academy fittings without spending ISK. When they find one they like, the standard version is available through Multibuy. That way the free trial flights actually teach them what to train and purchase next.
Official source: CCP Games’ Fractured Skies expansion notes.
