STAVANGER, Norway - A Norwegian electric aviation program reached a milestone on 28 January in its ongoing goal to transition to low- and zero-emission aviation with the completion of its first electric aviation test project, conducted under the country’s international test arena framework.
The project concluded after about six months of operational testing when pilot Jeremy Degagne landed a BETA Technologies ALIA electric aircraft in Stavanger, Norway. During the test period, the aircraft completed 126 flights, covering a total distance of 8,748 nautical miles and consuming about 12 megawatt-hours of electrical energy. Officials said the effort provided real-world experience in electric aircraft operations, charging infrastructure, and regulatory processes.
Project partners said the demonstration showed how new aviation technologies can be introduced safely and incrementally in a highly regulated environment through close cooperation among regulators, airports, operators, and technology developers.
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"As the national airport operator, Avinor has a clear responsibility to prepare our infrastructure for the next generation of aviation," said Karianne Helland Strand, executive vice president for sustainability and infrastructure at Avinor in Oslo, Norway. "Through this project, we have gained concrete experience that will guide how we develop airports and charging infrastructure and provide operators with a stronger basis for assessing the future commercial viability of routes based on new technologies."
Over the six-month test period, the aircraft flew regular cargo missions between Stavanger and Bergen, enabling airports, air traffic controllers, and regulators to gain hands-on experience with charging systems, winter operations, new procedures, and future training requirements. The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority said the project also advanced its approach to regulating emerging aviation technologies.
"We have established a first version of a regulatory sandbox and are able to evaluate how the different safety regulations work in the context of this new technological concept," said Jan Petter Steinland, director of strategic analysis and transformation at the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority in Bodo, Norway. "We are also maturing our safety methodology to be more fit for purpose for an innovation setting and broadening our competency on these technologies through close collaboration."
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ATC integrations
Close coordination with air traffic control was cited as a key factor in the project’s success. Feedback from controllers indicated the electric aircraft could be integrated into existing airspace with limited additional workload, reinforcing that innovation and safety can advance together.
"This project represents an important step toward the next generation of flight," said Dave Stepanek, executive vice president and chief transformation officer at Bristow Group in Houston. "We are proud to contribute real-world operational and safety experience that supports the careful, responsible introduction of electric and sustainable aircraft."
The test flights also identified priorities for the next phase of electric aviation development, including more robust charging solutions, winter-adapted infrastructure, and specialized training for fire and rescue services related to batteries and alternative fuels.
"This project demonstrated exactly how electric aviation should be introduced through a planned and safe approach in close partnership with regulators, operators, and airport authorities," said Simon Newitt, head of sales and support at BETA Technologies in South Burlington, Vt. "Over six months of real-world operations, we were able to validate aircraft performance, charging infrastructure, procedures, and winter operations in one of the most demanding environments in aviation."
The electric aviation test project was conducted by Bristow, BETA Technologies, Avinor, and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority. It was the first project carried out under Norway’s international test arena, which was established by Avinor and the aviation authority in April 2024 to accelerate the introduction of new aviation technologies.
