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Norway to Fly Electric Planes

Two years ago Norway saw the launch of the world’s first electric ferry, and now it has its sights set on the skies as companies and regulators look towards a future of battery-powered air travel.

According to Dag Falk-Petersen, CEO of airport operators Avinor, by 2040 all of Norway’s short-haul flights will be electric. “When we have reached our goal, air travel will no longer be a problem for the climate,” he says.

Avinor is set to buy its first electric plane this summer, and plans to launch a tender offer to test a commercial route with a 19-seat electric plane from 2025.

Last year, aerospace company Airbus announced plans to develop a hybrid-electric airliner, with a demonstration model scheduled for completion by 2020.

And UK-based low-cost airline easy Jet has announced that it is working on plans for all-electric short-haul planes to be launched within a decade.