Bristow to fly from business park and port under Norwegian demonstration plan

Tests will begin in the third quarter of 2027 using Electra’s hybrid-electric EL2 demonstrator.
Bristow Group has picked five sites in Norway – two major airports, a business park, a port, and a small regional airport – as the locations for a series of test flights beginning next year using Electra’s EL2 ultra-short take-off demonstrator.

Site selection – made in conjunction with partners including airport operator Avinor and the Norwegian civil aviation authority (CAA Norway) – is a key step towards the start of demonstration flights in the third quarter of 2027.

Bristow says the five locations have been chosen to gather data on flights performed from “three distinct operating environments”.

These include operations from novel landing sites without an existing runway (Horvnes quay near Sandnessjoen and Kongsbergporten Business Park), larger airport environments (Trondheim and Oslo airports), and a facility with a short runway (Mosjoen airport) to assess new approach procedures.

“When we test new aircraft technologies in such a range of different scenarios, we will be able to assess whether the existing regulatory framework is fit for purpose,” says Jan Petter Steinland, director of innovation, research and sustainability at CAA Norway.

“It is also valuable for us to build knowledge about how a new type of aircraft with specific characteristics can be safely integrated with other air traffic.”

Bristow has already participated in demonstrations in Norway’s government-sponsored international test arena for zero- and low-emission aviation, in late 2025 kicking off a six-month flight trial of Beta Technologies Alia CX300 all-electric cargo aircraft between Stavanger and Bergen.

Dave Stepanek, Bristow Executive vice-president, and chief transformation officer, says the next project “will allow us to demonstrate the capabilities and operational flexibility of Electra’s ultra-short take-off and landing aircraft across a range of operating environments”.

“With the locations now selected, we can begin detailed planning for next year’s flight demonstrations.”
Prior to that next step the partners will develop a detailed test programme, obtain the necessary approvals and prepare the locations.

A hybrid-electric design, the EL2 demonstrator is capable of taking off and landing in approximately 50m (165ft).

Bristow has a firm order in place for Electra’s first commercial product, the EL9, which is due to enter the market by the end of the decade.

The post Bristow to fly from business park and port under Norwegian demonstration plan first appeared on FlightGlobal.

Source: www.flightglobal.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.