Wideroe outlines ambitions for zero-emissions flying

Norwegian regional Wideroe is aiming to test zero-emissions aircraft in commercial operations within four years, introduce such aircraft into its mainline fleet in the coming decade. and is studying the use of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) types. “We have a pretty-clear ambition for the next 10 years where we want to see a full zero-emissions aircraft enter into service in 2026 or 2027 in Norway,” says Andreas Kollbye Aks, head of strategy at the carrier and CE of its subsidiary Wideroe Zero, speaking to FlightGlobal. It plans to begin operations with the all-electric Italian-built Tecnam P-Volt nine-seater aircraft in 2026 at the earliest as its first foray with an all-electric type. This will be followed at the end of the decade by a 40 to 70-seat regional aircraft and Wideroe Zero will also experiment with eVTOL aircraft when these become available. Introducing the Italian-made P-Volt is effectively a “commercial testing project” for Wideroe Zero which will evaluate how this technology works in scheduled service and “to build a business model as commercially viable as truly possible around that aircraft,” says Aks. “It is too early to say whether we would need more support and to what extent a taxation regime [will be needed] to support this idea.”<br/>