Test Arena Operations Kick Off in Norway with First Flight of All-Electric ALIA Aircraft
Bristow Norway AS, a subsidiary of Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL), has conducted the first flight of BETA Technologies' all-electric ALIA CX300 aircraft at Stavanger Airport, launching Norway's Test Arena for Zero & Low Emission Aviation. The demonstration flights, in collaboration with Avinor and CAA Norway, mark a significant step toward integrating Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in the Nordic region.
The test program will span several months, initially operating routes between Stavanger and Bergen airports, with potential expansion across Norway. The ALIA CX300 aircraft completed a remarkable 6,976 km journey across seven EU countries before arriving in Norway. This initiative represents Norway's commitment to sustainable aviation, with BETA-trained Bristow crews piloting and maintaining the aircraft throughout the six-month regulatory sandbox evaluation project.
[ "First successful flight of all-electric ALIA CX300 aircraft in Norway's Test Arena", "Strategic partnership between Bristow, BETA Technologies, Avinor, and CAA Norway for sustainable aviation", "Six-month regulatory sandbox evaluation project to advance Advanced Air Mobility", "Strong government support for zero-emission aviation initiatives in Norway" ]Bristow Norway AS, filiale di Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL), ha effettuato il primo volo del velivolo ALIA CX300 completamente elettrico di BETA Technologies presso l'aeroporto di Stavanger, inaugurando la Test Arena norvegese per l'Aviazione a Zero e Basse Emissioni. I voli dimostrativi, realizzati in collaborazione con Avinor e CAA Norway, rappresentano un passo importante verso l'integrazione della Mobilit脿 Aerea Avanzata (AAM) nella regione nordica.
Il programma di test si estender脿 per diversi mesi, operando inizialmente rotte tra gli aeroporti di Stavanger e Bergen, con possibili espansioni in tutta la Norvegia. L'aereo ALIA CX300 ha completato un eccezionale viaggio di 6.976 km attraverso sette paesi dell'UE prima di arrivare in Norvegia. Questa iniziativa riflette l'impegno della Norvegia per un'aviazione sostenibile, con equipaggi Bristow formati da BETA che piloteranno e manterranno l'aeromobile durante il progetto di valutazione regolatoria della durata di sei mesi.
Bristow Norway AS, subsidiaria de Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL), ha realizado el primer vuelo de la aeronave ALIA CX300 totalmente el茅ctrica de BETA Technologies en el Aeropuerto de Stavanger, lanzando la Arena de Pruebas de Noruega para la Aviaci贸n de Emisiones Cero y Bajas. Los vuelos de demostraci贸n, en colaboraci贸n con Avinor y CAA Norway, representan un paso significativo hacia la integraci贸n de la Movilidad A茅rea Avanzada (AAM) en la regi贸n n贸rdica.
El programa de pruebas se extender谩 durante varios meses, operando inicialmente rutas entre los aeropuertos de Stavanger y Bergen, con posible expansi贸n en toda Noruega. La aeronave ALIA CX300 complet贸 un notable viaje de 6.976 km a trav茅s de siete pa铆ses de la UE antes de llegar a Noruega. Esta iniciativa refleja el compromiso de Noruega con la aviaci贸n sostenible, con tripulaciones de Bristow capacitadas por BETA que pilotar谩n y mantendr谩n la aeronave durante el proyecto de evaluaci贸n regulatoria de seis meses.
Bristow Norway AS電� Bristow Group(NYSE:VTOL)鞚� 鞛愴殞靷, Stavanger 瓿淀暛鞐愳劀 BETA Technologies鞚� 鞝勱赴 霃欕牓 ALIA CX300 頃车旮办潣 觳� 牍勴枆鞚� 靹标车鞝侅溂搿� 靾橅枆頃橂┌ 雲鸽ゴ鞗澊鞚� 鞝滊 氚� 鞝�氚办稖 頃车 韰岇姢韸� 鞎勲爤雮橂ゼ 臧滌劋頄堨姷雼堧嫟. Avinor 氚� CAA Norway鞕� 順戨牓頃� 鞚措矆 鞁滊矓 牍勴枆鞚� 攵侅湢霟� 歆�鞐棎靹� 觳嫧 頃车 氇箤毽嫲(AAM) 韱淀暕鞚� 頄ロ暅 欷戩殧頃� 氚滉备鞚岇瀰雼堧嫟.
韰岇姢韸� 頂勲攴鸽灗鞚� 靾橁皽鞗旍棎 瓯胳硱 歆勴枆霅橂┌, 齑堦赴鞐愲姅 Stavanger鞕� Bergen 瓿淀暛 臧� 雲胳劆鞚� 鞖挫榿頃橁碃 頄ロ泟 雲鸽ゴ鞗澊 鞝勳棴鞙茧 頇曤寑霅� 臧�電レ劚鞚� 鞛堨姷雼堧嫟. ALIA CX300 頃车旮半姅 雲鸽ゴ鞗澊鞐� 霃勳癌頃橁赴 鞝勳棎 7臧� EU 甑皜毳� 臧�搿滌毳措姅 6,976km鞚� 鞚胳儊鞝侅澑 鞐爼鞚� 毵堨长鞀惦媹雼�. 鞚� 鞚措媹靺旐嫲敫岆姅 雲鸽ゴ鞗澊鞚� 歆�靻� 臧�電ロ暅 頃车鞐� 雽�頃� 鞚橃毳� 氤挫棳欤茧┌, BETA 甑愳湣鞚� 氚涭潃 Bristow 鞀闺鞗愳澊 6臧滌洈臧勳潣 攴滌牅 靸岆摐氚曥姢 韽夑皜 頂勲鞝濏姼 霃欖晥 頃车旮半ゼ 臁办頃橁碃 鞙犾 甏�毽暊 鞓堨爼鞛呺媹雼�.
Bristow Norway AS, filiale de Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL), a r茅alis茅 le premier vol de l鈥檃vion tout 茅lectrique ALIA CX300 de BETA Technologies 脿 l鈥檃茅roport de Stavanger, lan莽ant ainsi l鈥橝r猫ne de Test norv茅gienne pour l鈥橝viation 脿 Z茅ro et Faibles 脡missions. Les vols de d茅monstration, en collaboration avec Avinor et CAA Norway, marquent une 茅tape importante vers l鈥檌nt茅gration de la Mobilit茅 A茅rienne Avanc茅e (AAM) dans la r茅gion nordique.
Le programme de test s鈥櫭﹖endra sur plusieurs mois, op茅rant initialement des liaisons entre les a茅roports de Stavanger et Bergen, avec une possible extension 脿 l鈥檈nsemble de la Norv猫ge. L鈥檃ppareil ALIA CX300 a effectu茅 un remarquable trajet de 6 976 km 脿 travers sept pays de l鈥橴E avant d鈥檃rriver en Norv猫ge. Cette initiative illustre l鈥檈ngagement de la Norv猫ge en faveur d鈥檜ne aviation durable, avec des 茅quipages Bristow form茅s par BETA qui piloteront et entretiendront l鈥檃ppareil durant le projet d鈥櫭﹙aluation r茅glementaire de six mois.
Bristow Norway AS, eine Tochtergesellschaft der Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL), hat den Erstflug des vollst盲ndig elektrischen ALIA CX300-Flugzeugs von BETA Technologies am Flughafen Stavanger durchgef眉hrt und damit Norwegens Testarena f眉r emissionsarme und emissionsfreie Luftfahrt er枚ffnet. Die Demonstrationsfl眉ge, in Zusammenarbeit mit Avinor und CAA Norway, markieren einen bedeutenden Schritt zur Integration der Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in der nordischen Region.
Das Testprogramm wird sich 眉ber mehrere Monate erstrecken und zun盲chst Routen zwischen den Flugh盲fen Stavanger und Bergen bedienen, mit m枚glicher Ausweitung in ganz Norwegen. Das ALIA CX300-Flugzeug absolvierte vor seiner Ankunft in Norwegen eine bemerkenswerte 6.976 km lange Reise durch sieben EU-L盲nder. Diese Initiative steht f眉r Norwegens Engagement f眉r nachhaltige Luftfahrt, wobei von BETA geschulte Bristow-Crews das Flugzeug w盲hrend des sechsmonatigen regulatorischen Sandbox-Bewertungsprojekts fliegen und warten werden.
- None.
- Long and complex implementation journey ahead for commercial operations
- Regulatory uncertainties surrounding new aviation technology integration
- Limited initial route coverage between only Stavanger and Bergen airports
Insights
Bristow's BETA electric aircraft Test Arena launch in Norway represents significant progress in commercial zero-emission aviation deployment.
The launch of Norway's Test Arena for Zero & Low Emission Aviation with Bristow's flight of BETA's all-electric ALIA CX300 aircraft marks a critical operational milestone in the advancement of commercial electric aviation. This isn't merely a demonstration but the beginning of a months-long evaluation of real-world routes between major Norwegian airports, potentially expanding throughout the region.
What makes this particularly significant is the operational framework being established. For the first time, we're seeing a BETA-trained customer pilot operating the aircraft, representing a crucial step in the technology transfer necessary for commercial deployment. The six-month regulatory sandbox evaluation will provide invaluable data on operational integration in challenging Nordic conditions.
Norway represents an ideal testing ground with its 89% electric vehicle adoption in 2024 and geography that necessitates regional air travel. The country's distributed population across challenging terrain creates a perfect use case for electric aircraft that can serve routes between regional airports more sustainably than conventional aircraft.
For Bristow, this aligns with their stated "crawl, walk, run" approach to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and positions them at the forefront of an emerging market segment. The operational insights gained could provide Bristow with competitive advantages as electric aviation scales commercially.
The comprehensive ecosystem approach involving airport operators (Avinor), regulators (CAA Norway), technology providers (BETA), and operators (Bristow) demonstrates the kind of multi-stakeholder collaboration necessary to overcome the regulatory, operational, and infrastructure challenges that have historically slowed AAM deployment.
The ALIA CX300 test flights represent a tangible step in decarbonizing one of the hardest-to-abate transportation sectors. While electric cars have seen significant adoption, commercial aviation has lagged due to the challenging power-to-weight requirements for aircraft. BETA's ALIA aircraft, optimized for payload and range, addresses these fundamental engineering challenges.
What's particularly notable about this project is its operational focus. Rather than just demonstrating the technology works, this Test Arena is evaluating real commercial routes and integration requirements. The transition from technology demonstration to operational testing represents crossing the "valley of death" that many clean technology innovations fail to navigate.
Norway's approach creates a regulatory sandbox that allows for iterative learning while maintaining safety standards. This model could accelerate electric aviation adoption beyond what would be possible with traditional certification pathways alone.
The strong government backing, evidenced by statements from both the Minister of Transport and Minister of Climate and Environment, indicates national strategic commitment beyond just environmental goals. For a country dependent on aviation for domestic connectivity, electrification represents both climate action and transportation resilience.
The program's structure鈥攕tarting with specific routes between Stavanger and Bergen before potential expansion鈥攆ollows best practices for technology deployment by establishing controlled test conditions before scaling. This methodical approach increases the likelihood of successful commercial implementation while generating valuable operational data that can inform regulatory frameworks beyond Norway.
- Demonstration flights conducted by Bristow Norway AS and BETA Technologies through the Test Arena established by Avinor and CAA Norway are designed to evaluate use cases and routes for zero- and low-emission aviation in the Nordic region
- Bristow flies BETA's ALIA CX300 conventional take-off and landing (eCTOL) aircraft in first of a months-long series of market survey operations
- Delivery of BETA's aircraft to the Test Arena concludes a 6976 km journey across seven countries in the EU; marks company's first operations with a BETA-trained customer pilot
STAVANGER,
The Test Arena will consist of a series of evaluation flights over the next several months, to test likely customer routes at Avinor-owned airports throughout
Today's flight was conducted by Bristow pilot, Jeremy Degagne, and Beta pilot, Nate Dubie. In addition to kicking off
"As a nation wholly dependent on aviation 鈥� today as well as in the future 鈥� transitioning to a more sustainable aviation industry is a major priority for my government," said Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nyg氓rd.
"This first flight represents a significant step on a long and complex journey. As the Test Arena demonstrates, cooperation between authorities, airports, manufacturers, operators 鈥� and not least, political support 鈥� is essential. The systemic approach the Test Arena facilitates is unique, and I am proud that
"Today's test flight is an important step in turning climate policy into practical solutions. If we are to succeed with the green transition, we must test, learn and build 鈥� not just plan. With this test arena,
"Bristow is proud to be a part of this cutting-edge program and our participation in this test arena directly aligns with our philosophical 'crawl, walk, run' approach to developing Advanced Air Mobility for commercial operations," said Dave Stepanek, Bristow's Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer. "The information we learn through the test arena program will provide valuable operational insights that could help operators, manufacturers, and regulators better understand how best to move forward towards commercial operations."
"To be delivering ALIA to our partners at Bristow and kicking off operational testing here in
With its unique design that optimizes for payload, range, and IFR capabilities, ALIA is well-suited for
"This essential and meaningful step will support the industry, accelerate innovation in new mobility, and strengthen our expertise. We are excited to continue this critical work", said Lars Kobberstad, Director General of CAA Norway. "Aviation is a safe mode of transport and a well-regulated sector. As the aviation authority, we will ensure that we facilitate testing new technologies and contribute to safe testing and future integrations. We will learn how rules and regulations must evolve to enable new technologies and concepts. Through this, we aim to build the necessary expertise early on for tomorrow's solutions."
"The first flight of the Test Arena is a major milestone for Norwegian aviation and for Avinor, and a key step towards future commercial operations of zero- and low-emission flights in
A team of BETA pilots and maintainers have delivered this aircraft, N214BT, to the Test Arena following a weeks-long journey across the EU. The flights, which originated in Shannon,
Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements represent Bristow Group Inc.'s ("Bristow") current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "project," or "continue," or other similar words, and include statements regarding the expected benefits of the aircraft operations, fleet support and training arrangements disclosed herein. These statements are made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, reflect management's current views with respect to future events and therefore are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the capabilities, development, certification, marketing, and future operations of BETA electric aircraft and the anticipated benefits of the collaboration among Avinor, the Civil Aviation Authority Norway, BETA and Bristow. Bristow's actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. Bristow cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are made. Bristow disclaims any obligation or undertaking to provide any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in Bristow's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which the forward-looking statement is based that occur after the date hereof, except as may be required by applicable law. You should not place undue reliance on Bristow's forward-looking statements because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond Bristow's control. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these matters or how they may affect us. We have included important factors in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Bristow's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 (the "Annual Report") which we believe over time, could cause Bristow's actual results, performance, or achievements to differ from the anticipated results, performance or achievements that are expressed or implied by Bristow's forward-looking statements. You should consider all risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Annual Report and in Bristow's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), all of which are accessible on the SEC's website at .
About Bristow Group
Bristow Group Inc. is the leading global provider of innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions. Bristow primarily provides aviation services to a broad base of offshore energy companies and government entities. Our aviation services include personnel transportation, search and rescue ("SAR"), medevac, fixed-wing transportation, unmanned systems and ad hoc helicopter services. Our business is comprised of three operating segments: Offshore Energy Services, Government Services and Other Services. Our energy customers charter our helicopters primarily to transport personnel to, from and between onshore bases and offshore production platforms, drilling rigs and other installations. Our government customers primarily outsource SAR activities whereby we operate specialized helicopters and provide highly trained personnel. Our other services include fixed-wing transportation services through a regional airline and dry-leasing aircraft to third-party operators in support of other industries and geographic markets.
Bristow currently has customers in
About BETA Technologies
BETA Technologies is a
About CAA Norway
CAA Norway's main objective is to contribute to safe, societally beneficial, and sustainable aviation. As an aviation authority, CAA Norway, in collaboration with EASA, will contribute to regulatory facilitation and learning. The purpose is to enable safe testing and phasing in of new technologies in an ecosystem. It will also enable the regulators to identify the need for regulatory changes and to ensure that approval and certification processes are well prepared and can be carried out efficiently. CAA Norway's main office is in Bod酶 in the northern part of
About Avinor
Avinor is a wholly owned state limited company under the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications and is responsible for 44 state-owned airports. Avinor has taken a leading role in reducing climate gas emissions from the aviation industry, including the development of electric aircraft, and supplying sustainable aviation fuel. Avinor provides safe and efficient travels for around 50 million passengers annually, half of which travel to and from Oslo Airport. Around 3,000 employees are responsible for planning, developing, and operating an efficient airport and air navigation service. Avinor is financed via airport charges and commercial sales. The air navigation services are organized as a subsidiary wholly owned by Avinor. Avinor is headquartered in
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