Bristow picks five Norwegian sites for Electra EL2 demonstration flights

Bristow Group has picked five sites in Norway for test flights with Electra's hybrid-electric EL2 demonstrator, an aircraft designed for ultra-short take-offs and landings. Flights are due to start in the third quarter of 2027.

The sites span three types of operating environment, according to the company. Two have no runway at all: Horvnes quay near Sandnessjoen and Kongsbergporten Business Park. Trondheim and Oslo airports stand for the larger airport setting. Mosjoen airport, with its short runway, will be used to try out new approach procedures.

Bristow chose the sites with partners including the airport operator Avinor and Norway's civil aviation authority. Jan Petter Steinland, the authority's director of innovation, research and sustainability, said testing a new aircraft type across such a spread of scenarios would help establish whether current rules are adequate. It would also build understanding of how an aircraft with these characteristics can be mixed safely with other traffic, he said.

Dave Stepanek, Bristow's executive vice-president and chief transformation officer, said the project would show the operational flexibility of the Electra design across a range of conditions.

Bristow has already taken part in trials under Norway's state-backed test programme for zero- and low-emission aviation. Late last year it began a six-month trial with Beta Technologies' Alia CX300, an all-electric cargo aircraft, flying between Stavanger and Bergen.