diff --git a/src/modules/attitude_estimator_q/attitude_estimator_q_main.cpp b/src/modules/attitude_estimator_q/attitude_estimator_q_main.cpp
index af2ad11dfe..c8232eee43 100644
--- a/src/modules/attitude_estimator_q/attitude_estimator_q_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/attitude_estimator_q/attitude_estimator_q_main.cpp
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ private:
 		param_t	bias_max;
 		param_t vibe_thresh;
 		param_t	ext_hdg_mode;
+		param_t airspeed_mode;
 	}		_params_handles;		/**< handles for interesting parameters */
 
 	float		_w_accel = 0.0f;
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ private:
 	float		_vibration_warning_threshold = 2.0f;
 	hrt_abstime	_vibration_warning_timestamp = 0;
 	int		_ext_hdg_mode = 0;
+	int 	_airspeed_mode = 0;
 
 	Vector<3>	_gyro;
 	Vector<3>	_accel;
@@ -232,6 +234,7 @@ AttitudeEstimatorQ::AttitudeEstimatorQ() :
 	_params_handles.bias_max	= param_find("ATT_BIAS_MAX");
 	_params_handles.vibe_thresh	= param_find("ATT_VIBE_THRESH");
 	_params_handles.ext_hdg_mode	= param_find("ATT_EXT_HDG_M");
+	_params_handles.airspeed_mode = param_find("FW_ARSP_MODE");
 }
 
 /**
@@ -626,14 +629,25 @@ void AttitudeEstimatorQ::task_main()
 
 			ctrl_state.yaw_rate = _lp_yaw_rate.apply(_rates(2));
 
-			/* Airspeed - take airspeed measurement directly here as no wind is estimated */
-			if (PX4_ISFINITE(_airspeed.indicated_airspeed_m_s) && hrt_absolute_time() - _airspeed.timestamp < 1e6
-			    && _airspeed.timestamp > 0) {
-				ctrl_state.airspeed = _airspeed.indicated_airspeed_m_s;
-				ctrl_state.airspeed_valid = true;
+			ctrl_state.airspeed_valid = false;
 
+			// use estimated velocity for airspeed estimate
+			if (_airspeed_mode == 1) {
+				if (hrt_absolute_time() - _gpos.timestamp < 1e6) {
+					ctrl_state.airspeed = sqrtf(_gpos.vel_n * _gpos.vel_n + _gpos.vel_e * _gpos.vel_e +_gpos.vel_d * _gpos.vel_d);
+				}
+			// do nothing, airspeed has been declared as non-valid above, controllers will handle this assuming always trim airspeed	
+			} else if (_airspeed_mode == 2) {
+
+			// use the measured airspeed
 			} else {
-				ctrl_state.airspeed_valid = false;
+				/* Airspeed - take airspeed measurement directly here as no wind is estimated */
+				if (PX4_ISFINITE(_airspeed.indicated_airspeed_m_s) && hrt_absolute_time() - _airspeed.timestamp < 1e6
+				    && _airspeed.timestamp > 0) {
+					ctrl_state.airspeed = _airspeed.indicated_airspeed_m_s;
+					ctrl_state.airspeed_valid = true;
+
+				}
 			}
 
 			/* the instance count is not used here */
@@ -688,6 +702,7 @@ void AttitudeEstimatorQ::update_parameters(bool force)
 		param_get(_params_handles.bias_max, &_bias_max);
 		param_get(_params_handles.vibe_thresh, &_vibration_warning_threshold);
 		param_get(_params_handles.ext_hdg_mode, &_ext_hdg_mode);
+		param_get(_params_handles.airspeed_mode, &_airspeed_mode);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
index 864505c7fe..ca94eaa7ce 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
@@ -271,6 +271,9 @@ private:
 	control::BlockParamFloat _acc_bias_init;	// 1-sigma accelerometer bias uncertainty at switch-on (m/s**2)
 	control::BlockParamFloat _ang_err_init;		// 1-sigma uncertainty in tilt angle after gravity vector alignment (rad)
 
+	// airspeed mode parameter
+	control::BlockParamInt _airspeed_mode;
+
 	int update_subscriptions();
 
 };
@@ -366,7 +369,8 @@ Ekf2::Ekf2():
 	_tau_pos(this, "EKF2_TAU_POS", false, &_params->pos_Tau),
 	_gyr_bias_init(this, "EKF2_GBIAS_INIT", false, &_params->switch_on_gyro_bias),
 	_acc_bias_init(this, "EKF2_ABIAS_INIT", false, &_params->switch_on_accel_bias),
-	_ang_err_init(this, "EKF2_ANGERR_INIT", false, &_params->initial_tilt_err)
+	_ang_err_init(this, "EKF2_ANGERR_INIT", false, &_params->initial_tilt_err),
+	_airspeed_mode(this, "FW_ARSP_MODE", false)
 {
 
 }
@@ -655,14 +659,27 @@ void Ekf2::task_main()
 						1) * acceleration(1));
 			ctrl_state.horz_acc_mag = _acc_hor_filt;
 
-			// Airspeed - take airspeed measurement directly here as no wind is estimated
-			if (PX4_ISFINITE(airspeed.indicated_airspeed_m_s) && hrt_absolute_time() - airspeed.timestamp < 1e6
-			    && airspeed.timestamp > 0) {
-				ctrl_state.airspeed = airspeed.indicated_airspeed_m_s;
-				ctrl_state.airspeed_valid = true;
+			float vel[3] = {};
+			_ekf.get_velocity(vel);
 
+			ctrl_state.airspeed_valid = false;
+
+			// use estimated velocity for airspeed estimate
+			if (_airspeed_mode.get() == 1) {
+				if (_ekf.local_position_is_valid()) {
+					ctrl_state.airspeed = sqrtf(vel[0] * vel[0] + vel[1] * vel[1] +vel[2] * vel[2]);
+				}
+			// do nothing, airspeed has been declared as non-valid above, controllers will handle this assuming always trim airspeed	
+			} else if (_airspeed_mode.get() == 2) {
+
+			// use the measured airspeed
 			} else {
-				ctrl_state.airspeed_valid = false;
+				/* Airspeed - take airspeed measurement directly here as no wind is estimated */
+				if (PX4_ISFINITE(airspeed.indicated_airspeed_m_s) && hrt_absolute_time() - airspeed.timestamp < 1e6
+				    && airspeed.timestamp > 0) {
+					ctrl_state.airspeed = airspeed.indicated_airspeed_m_s;
+					ctrl_state.airspeed_valid = true;
+				}
 			}
 
 			// publish control state data
@@ -702,7 +719,6 @@ void Ekf2::task_main()
 			// generate vehicle local position data
 			struct vehicle_local_position_s lpos = {};
 			float pos[3] = {};
-			float vel[3] = {};
 
 			lpos.timestamp = hrt_absolute_time();
 
@@ -713,7 +729,6 @@ void Ekf2::task_main()
 			lpos.z = pos[2];
 
 			// Velocity of body origin in local NED frame (m/s)
-			_ekf.get_velocity(vel);
 			lpos.vx = vel[0];
 			lpos.vy = vel[1];
 			lpos.vz = vel[2];