Bristow Group, Electra, Avinor and Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority have selected five Norwegian locations for flight demonstrations with Electra’s hybrid-electric EL2 technology demonstrator. The programme, planned to begin in the third quarter of 2027, will examine operations from short-runway airports, landing sites without established runways and larger airport environments.
The selected sites are Mosjøen Airport, Horvnes quay near Sandnessjøen, Kongsbergporten Business Park, Trondheim Airport and Oslo Airport. Mosjøen will be used to assess the aircraft’s short-runway performance and new approach procedures. Horvnes and Kongsbergporten will demonstrate operations from novel landing sites, while Trondheim and Oslo will focus on integration with established airport ecosystems.
The EL2 uses electric propulsion, combining batteries with a turbogenerator powered by sustainable aviation fuel. It is designed to take off and land in approximately 50 metres.
The project builds on a contract signed by the partners in April and is now moving into detailed test planning. The partners must develop the test programme, obtain regulatory approvals and prepare the locations before flying begins. The demonstrations are intended to provide operational, infrastructure, safety, regulatory and market data for the potential introduction of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft in Norway.