Oslo, Norway (By Ahmed Tanveer): - Norway is aiming to make its short-haul flights 100% electric by 2040. This would make it the first country to switch to electric air travel. All domestic Norwegian routes and those to neighbouring Scandinavian capitals - should be entirely electric, said Norwegian airport operator Avinor's chief executive, Dag Falk-Petersen. Avinor will make a tender offer for the first commercial electric air route in 2025, which will carry 19 passengers. Norway’s air travel goes 100% electric, it will rely on hybrid engines and bio-fuels. Domestic air travel in Norway accounts for 2.4% of its greenhouse gas emissions. When international air travel is included, this figure doubles.
The European Commission’s Flightpath 2050 Vision for Aviation calls for reduction of CO2 by 75%, reduction of nitrogen oxides by 90% and reduction of noise by 65%. Last year, more than half of new cars sold in Norway were electric or hybrid, the highest rate in the world. But he admitted ‘when we talk about battery driven planes there’s no doubt that most people are a bit skeptical. Norway, a mountainous country of 5 million people with towns beside remote fjords, would be ideal for electric planes which can accelerate faster than conventional planes and so need shorter runways, he said. Norway’s Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen said Oslo would try to repeat its success in promoting electric cars, backed by tax breaks and other parks such as free parking and recharging points. (enewspaper WhatsApp # +923132434567)
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