The Civil Aviation Authority of Norway (CAA Norway), along with airport operator Avinor, BETA Technologies and Bristow Norway have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to participate in an international test arena for zero- and low-emission aviation in Norway.
The parties will collaborate on building a concept of operations for demonstrating cargo transport, aiming to carry out demo operations in a ‘regulatory sandbox’ in Norway by around mid-2025.
The project will contribute to the development of knowledge and experience for a broad range of key stakeholders, with the goal being to, “test, learn, prepare, and prove the viability of advanced air mobility operations in a controlled environment", the CAA read in a statement.
“It is urgent to move forward with this work if we are to achieve the goal of fossil-free aviation by 2050,” said Norwegian minister of transport Jon-Ivar Nygard. “This is also the reason why the government has allocated 50 million kroner [$4.4 million] to Avinor and the Civil Aviation Authority in the state budget for 2025.”
“Through close collaboration with the parties, we can facilitate and support the safe integration of new technologies,” commented CAA Norway director general Lars Kobberstad. “Developing an advanced regulatory sandbox together with EASA is a significant and rewarding task, but we firmly believe it can support industry, accelerate innovation processes regarding new mobility and provide us with critical competency.”
Avinor CEO Abraham Foss added: “Avinor is very pleased that a major player like Bristow and an innovative manufacturer like BETA want to use Norway as a test arena. We have previously stated that the goal was to start test flights by 2025, and we are now well on track to achieve this goal."
The test arena is focussed on the sharing of the knowledge gained, which the CAA said can benefit the entire ecosystem.
Norway also launched a new green industrial partnership with the UK government on December 16, 2024. Together, the UK and Norway will collaborate on clean energy and delivering economic growth to advance the green transition across a range of sectors.
As part of the agreement, the two countries will develop a bilateral agreement or arrangement on cross-border transport of CO2.