Tale under åpning av internasjonal testarena for null- og lavutslippsluftfart

Sjekkes mot framføring.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour to be here in Stavanger to mark an historic event for Norwegian aviation: The first test flight with an electric aircraft within the framework of Norway as an international test arena for zero and low emission aviation.

Behind the achievement of this milestone today is a political objective to facilitate an accelerated transition to zero- and low-emission aviation, as well as strong contributors represented by Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority, as well as the entire Norwegian aviation industry and their common commitment to reducing emissions.

Back in 2023, my government published the White Paper “Sustainable and safe aviation” which gives a comprehensible review of our policies to facilitate among other things an environmentally sustainable aviation sector.

The proposed goals and measures were further elaborated in the National Transport Plan for the period 2025-2036, which was submitted to the Parliament in March 2024. In this plan, we prioritized one billion Norwegian kroner to facilitate an accelerated transition to zero- and low-emission aviation.

This was followed up with an allocation of 50 million kroner to Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority in the state budget for 2025, to use for development of the test arena.

With the test arena, Norway positions itself as a frontrunner in the transition to more sustainable aviation.

As I also touched upon when we marked the signing of the test agreement in Bergen in March, it is no coincidence that the first test will take place between Stavanger and Bergen.

The west coast provides a favourable climate for testing of electrical aircraft, with short and mild winters.

Flights between the two cities are short and frequent, both airports have offshore activity, and are innovative and forward-leaning when it comes to the implementation of new technologies.

The route also provides the opportunity of testing real life operations in interaction with other traffic at two major airports.

Testing and demonstration here will provide substantial knowledge and experience which other regions can learn from, both within Norway and beyond.

In that context I will also take the opportunity to thank BETA Technologies and Bristow Group for their participation, as well as the dedication they bring to the testing project and their contribution in taking the transition to more sustainable aviation one step further. 

The significance of this first flight cannot be underestimated.

First, it is a concrete demonstration that electrical aircraft technology is a reality and not something to come in the far future.

Second, but no less significant, that the technology is now being brought to testing in an operative environment, a necessary next step towards commercial electrical routes in the Norwegian aviation network and elsewhere.

Through the testing period, key knowledge and experience will be gained both in the air and on the ground.

This will provide a solid basis for future policy decisions aimed at a broader introduction of zero emission technology into Norwegian aviation and real time experience that the aviation sector at large can benefit from.

The introduction of fossil-free technologies can create new market opportunities or even new markets altogether, locally, regionally as well as nationally and internationally. 

New types of aircraft, often called Advanced Air Mobility, can open opportunities for air transport to areas not served by air transport today.

With new revolutionary aircraft, where many can take off and land vertically, mobility of freight and passengers can be further developed.

It is also pleasing to see that innovative Norwegian suppliers have succeeded in the competition to deliver electric aircraft chargers for the test project. 

Norway has extensive experience in transitioning both road transport and parts of the maritime sector to zero-and low-emission technologies.

We are now drawing upon valuable experience, particularly from charging infrastructure for electrical cars, and expanding that into the aviation sector. 

Best of luck to all partners and congratulations with the achievement of an historic milestone in the transition to zero- and low-emission aviation for Norwegian aviation, and I dear say international aviation.

I look forward to following the testing in the months to come.