First formal agreement to use Norway as an international test arena for zero- and low-emission aviation signed

Avinor and the Civil Aviation Authority entered a collaboration to establish Norway as an international test arena for zero- and low-emission aviation. On March 4, 2025, the first formal agreement for demonstration flights was signed at Bergen Airport, Flesland, with American aircraft manufacturer BETA Technologies and Bristow Norway AS, a subsidiary of Bristow Group Inc.

Demonstration flights start in Q3

The demonstration flights will be cargo flights without passengers, conducted using BETA's ALIA CX300 eCTOL aircraft, which will be flown by Bristow Norway. The cargo flights will operate initially between Stavanger Airport and Bergen Airport, starting from Stavanger in late summer, with the entire route commencing later in the fall. BETA recently completed the production build of the ALIA aircraft that will perform these demonstrations. The aircraft, BETA's second production-intent vehicle, was manufactured at the company's scaled production factory in Burlington, Vermont, USA and has already received airworthiness certification for VFR, IFR, day and night flying from the FAA. It will arrive in Norway later this year.

Government ambitions through the aviation strategy and the national transport plan 

Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nygård commented: "The government's goal in the National Aviation Strategy and the National Transport Plan 2025–2036 is to accelerate the transition to zero- and low-emission aviation. To achieve this, one billion kroner has been allocated in the NTP. The first major initiative is the establishment of Norway as an international test arena for zero- and low-emission aircraft.With an aviation industry committed to reducing emissions, a decentralized network of airports of various sizes, a significant regional air transport market, a proactive aviation authority, and a supplier industry specializing in battery-electric propulsion systems and hydrogen technology, we have a strong foundation for the early adoption of new technologies." 

Broad involvement

The goal of the test arena is to gain knowledge, learning, and to prepare the ecosystem and set the foundation for scaling. This means involving airlines, manufacturers, supplier industries, the energy sector, and other stakeholders.

Karianne Helland Strand, Executive Vice President for Sustainability, Concept, and Infrastructure Development at Avinor stated: "Avinor's role is to facilitate the infrastructure at airports and make the airspace available for actors who wish to test various zero- and low-emission aircraft in an operational environment. We seek more knowledge about what different technologies and aircraft require in terms of airport facilities and necessary energy supply needs. For example, we currently have a procurement process underway for fast chargers for electric aircraft in Bergen and Stavanger to accommodate the first test flight." 

Director General of Civil Aviation, Lars Kobberstad said: "Aviation is a safe mode of transport and a well-regulated sector. As the aviation authority, we will ensure that new technologies can be tested in accordance with regulations. We will learn how regulations and frameworks need to evolve to enable new technologies and concepts. Through this, we will build the necessary expertise early on for the solutions of tomorrow. We are now establishing a connection point between the aviation industry and the support system in line with the government's objectives." 

"We see great value in real-world demonstrations, both to understand performance and mission fit, but also to bring local communities in what this technology offers," said Patrick Buckles, BETA's Sales Lead. "This year, as we operationalize this technology, we're excited to showcase how its low-cost, high-reliability operations can serve markets all over the world, including Norway."

Dave Stepanek, Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer for Bristow Group stated: "This regulatory sandbox evaluation project exemplifies our philosophy of crawl, walk, run for early adoption of new aviation technologies and solidifies the commitment to our vision to be a leader in innovative and sustainable aviation. Bristow Norway is proud and honored to partner with this distinguished group of leaders in advanced air mobility." 

Several milestones throughout the spring

Prior to activating the test arena, a supplier of chargers will be selected for both Stavanger and Bergen, with a deadline for the delivery of a charger to be installed at Stavanger Airport by June 1. Bergen Airport will have a mobile charger, which is to be delivered by August 15.