Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority have signed a brand-new cooperation agreement that will establish Norway as an international testbed for zero- and low-emission aircraft.
The establishment forms a key part of Norway’s goal of attaining entirely fossil-free aviation by 2050, and will see a test arena that covers, in principle, the whole country.
Specific geographical locations for the test facilities are yet to be decided, but are expected to be solidified following dialogue with market players based on their needs, as well as assessments of technological maturity. Interested manufacturers and operators are required to present an operational concept, as well as answer predefined qualification criteria – with market dialogue already having begun.
The establishment of Norway as an international test arena will seek to build on the country’s market as a test area, as well as an early market for the introduction of zero- and low-emission aircraft. This move is anticipated to contribute to the earlier arrival of such vehicles, as well as form a key part of the development of zero-emission aviation on a larger scale globally, with no such test arena currently available anywhere in the world.
Lars Kobberstad, Director of Aviation at the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority, said:The purpose of the agreement is to facilitate accelerated phasing-in by reducing barriers to testing and demonstrating zero- and low-emission aircraft.
The test arena will provide the market with a common point of contact at Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority, and a common process from concept to test and demonstration flights, which includes infrastructure, airspace, energy and regulatory facilitation, for national and international players who wish to test and demonstrate zero- and low-emission aircraft in Norway.
The extensive network of airports in Norway and close and good cooperation between Avinor as airport operator and responsible for airspace, and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority as regulator, means that Norway is in a unique position to facilitate testing of new technology in an early phase.
Elsewhere, the establishment of the arena will seek to entice both early and active involvement of aviation authorities, and, according to Avinor, will be promoted by market players as having ‘great importance’. This includes cooperation with the EU aviation authority EASA, to establish the framework for testing and demonstration, as well as ensuring that this becomes a good arena for learning and competence building.
