Avinor and Norway's Civil Aviation Authority Open Two Calls to Test Zero- and Low-Emission Aircraft
Why It MattersNorway is positioning its airports and regulator as a structured testbed for electric, hydrogen and hybrid aircraft, aiming to settle infrastructure and certification needs before commercial operations start.
Avinor and the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway have launched two calls for proposals to test zero- and low-emission aircraft through Norway's International Test Arena. The calls were announced on 28 October 2026 and cover regional aircraft and new piloted vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) designs. Manufacturers, airlines, operators and industry consortia have until 30 November 2026 at 16:00 CET to submit proposals. The programme aims to establish what emerging aircraft technologies will require from airports, airspace, energy infrastructure and regulators before commercial operations begin.
The first call targets aircraft with at least nine passenger seats intended for regional journeys of less than 1,000 kilometres, using battery-electric, hydrogen or hybrid propulsion. Selected projects will initially join the Virtual Test Arena, a planning phase examining operating concepts, infrastructure needs, regulatory requirements and business cases. Projects that reach sufficient maturity may then move into the Physical Test Arena for testing and demonstrations.
The second call focuses on zero- and low-emission piloted VTOL aircraft for passenger and cargo services, aimed primarily at more mature designs that can be demonstrated within an airport and airspace environment. Demonstrations are expected in 2027, or by 2028 at the latest, at locations chosen according to each project's requirements rather than at a single airport.
Avinor facilitates access to infrastructure and airspace services, while the Civil Aviation Authority provides regulatory guidance and can establish a project-specific regulatory sandbox. The calls follow a demonstration project with Bristow Norway and BETA Technologies completed in 2025. A second project with Bristow Norway and Electra is underway, with flight demonstrations of Electra's hybrid-electric ultra-short take-off and landing aircraft planned for the third quarter of 2027. Full requirements are set out in two tender notices on the EU's Tenders Electronic Daily platform, numbers 748671-2026 and 745536-2026.
