Bristow Norway AS has completed the first operation at Norway’s Test Arena for Zero & Low Emission Aviation with a flight utilising BETA Technologies’ all-electric ALIA CX300 aircraft at Stavanger Airport.
The flights were conducted in collaboration with Avinor and the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway (CAA Norway).
The Test Arena will see a series of evaluation flights over the course of the next several months, focusing on potential customer routes at Avinor-owned airports across Norway.
Initial flights will include trips between Stavanger and Bergen airports, with the potential to expand to additional routes within Norway by 2026.
The six-month regulatory sandbox evaluation project will see BETA-trained Bristow crew both pilot and maintain the BETA aircraft.
Minister of Transport, Jon-Ivar Nygård, said:As a nation wholly dependent on aviation — today as well as in the future — transitioning to a more sustainable aviation industry is a major priority for my government.
This first flight represents a significant step on a long and complex journey. As the Test Arena demonstrates, cooperation between authorities, airports, manufacturers, operators — and not least, political support — is essential. The systemic approach the Test Arena facilitates is unique, and I am proud that Norway is at the forefront.
