Avinor's electrified aircraft
In 2019, Avinor and the Norwegian Air Sports Association (NLF) purchased a new electric aircraft, the Pipistrel Velis Electro.
The battery-powered aircraft has two seats, and with a battery capacity of 24.8 kWh, it stays airborne for around an hour. The price of the aircraft is approximately 1.7 million NOK. The aircraft will be used for:
- Technology demonstration
- Gaining operational experience
- Testing charging concepts
- Exploring training and education concepts
The world's first certified battery-powered aircraft model
Where profiles and goals have not changed much from the previous model, a crucial innovation with the Pipistrel Velis Electro 600 is that it has an onboard cooling system for the battery and electronics. Most importantly, the model is the first electrified aircraft model to be certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). With this, Avinor's new electric aircraft is the first in the world with an electric motor that has been officially certified.
This is the second battery-powered aircraft to take to the skies in Norway under the auspices of Avinor and the Norwegian Air Sports Association (NLF). The first aircraft (Pipistrel Alpha Electro, LN-ELA) was delivered in June 2018. After an engine failure and subsequent emergency landing during the Arendal Week in August 2019, the aircraft was donated to the aviation museum in Bodø.
Avinor's vision is that all domestic air traffic will be electrified by 2040.
A good industry collaboration
The new electric aircraft will be operated by NLF, while Avinor, SAS, and Widerøe will cover the operating costs.
