Avinor and Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority Sign Agreement to Make Norway an International Testbed for Zero- and Low-Emission Aircraft
Why It MattersA single national process covering infrastructure, airspace, energy and regulation lowers entry barriers for electric and hydrogen aircraft developers, shifting early certification and demonstration work toward Norway.
Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority have signed a cooperation agreement to establish Norway as an international testbed for zero- and low-emission aircraft. The initiative forms part of Norway's goal of fully fossil-free aviation by 2050 and will create a test arena that, in principle, covers the whole country. No comparable test arena currently exists anywhere in the world.
Specific geographical locations for the test facilities have not yet been decided. They are expected to be determined after dialogue with market players about their needs, along with assessments of technological maturity. Interested manufacturers and operators must present an operational concept and meet predefined qualification criteria; market dialogue has already begun.
Lars Kobberstad, Director of Aviation at the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority, said the agreement aims to speed up phasing-in by reducing barriers to testing and demonstrating zero- and low-emission aircraft. The arena will give the market a common point of contact at Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority and a common process from concept to test and demonstration flights, covering infrastructure, airspace, energy and regulatory facilitation for national and international players. The arena also aims to attract early and active involvement from aviation authorities, including cooperation with the EU aviation authority EASA to set the framework for testing and demonstration and to make the arena a good setting for learning and competence building.
