The small plane cruising towards Copenhagen may have looked normal to most Danes on the ground, but unlike all other flights in Danish history, this aircraft was all electric.
Alia Ctol, an electric plane from the US Aerospace Company Beta Technologies, completed a 200-kilometer journey between Sonderborg and Copenhagen airports this week.
The company says fixed-wing electric planes offer a safe, quiet, low-cost alternative to traditional aircraft and helicopters.
With a 15-meter wingspan, the Alia Ctol is the size of a sprinter van. According to beta technology, it can fly at a top speed of 281 km/h.
Airplanes also emit up to 84% of carbon dioxide than traditional helicopters of similar size.
“Many people say Green Air is for the future,” said Jakup Sbery Kass, director of Sonderborg Airport, at a takeoff event in the city, 325km west of Copenhagen.
“But we are standing here today and seeing that the future is beginning. This is not just a test. This is the beginning of something new,” he added.
American Airplane began its grand tour of Europe from Shannon Airport in Ireland in May. Since then, they have stopped at multiple airports on the continent to demonstrate the aircraft’s full electrical operation and charging infrastructure.
In August, the plane will begin driving cargo flights between Bergen and Stavanger, Norway, as part of a test of zero-emissions aviation led by Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority.
Charging is the main issue
The Alia CTOL is designed for regional flights and can consist of both up to five passenger passengers and cargo travel.
According to Beta Technology, the maximum distance an aircraft can fly on a single charge is 622 kilometers.
Airplanes can be billed using standard fast chargers for electric vehicles in just 20-40 minutes, the company says.
Short-distance planes carry their own chargers and connect to the airport’s power units because they don’t have permanent charging facilities. We have pit stops to charge at European airports.
“There is no existing European infrastructure in Europe,” said Sean Hall, the company’s chief revenue officer, from the tarmac at Copenhagen airport after the plane landed.
In Denmark, Copenhagen Airport CEO Christian Paulsen said the next Euroneus at the airport needs to be charged aircraft and adapted to accommodate the traditional and electric plane mix “when these aircraft came to town.”
According to Jorgen Mads Klausen, the cost of batteries and other lightweight materials will be another factor that electric plane makers will compete for.
He predicts that the “battery technology” for the larger electric machine will be available within the next decade.
“But, just like with electric vehicles, it’s important to be ready when things start, because once technology matures, things move faster,” Klausen said at the takeoff event.
Sustainable Aviation in Europe
The Danish government has pledged to launch its first fully sustainable domestic flight route by 2025.
This year, we introduced a flat rate of 13 Danish Cloners (1.74 euros) per passenger to cover the transition to sustainable domestic flights.
Several Nordic countries are committed to the climate targets of the aviation industry.
In Norway, all domestic flights are aiming to be electric or hybrid by 2040, but in Sweden, all domestic flights are expected to be fossil free by 2030, and international flights are expected to last by 2045.
Swedish-American Heart Aerospace is developing a 30-seater ES-30 designed to have a fully battery-powered range of 200 km.
Other European countries, such as the Netherlands, France and the UK, have also tested electronic planes of similar sizes.
However, now electric planes can fly regions within Europe due to battery ranges at best. This means that other technologies that reduce flight emissions could also help the country achieve its sustainability goals.
Lasse Stenhøj Ingvardsen, team manager of renewable energy systems at the Danish Institute of Technology, told Euronows that they could then explore a variety of technologies for sustainable aviation.
Many European countries are investing in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), a type of fuel made from renewable resources, and hydrogen fuels that do not emit carbon dioxide.
“SAF fuel becomes one tool. Electricity becomes another tool. Hybrid solutions become the third tool. Maybe we can see the hydrogen surface.”
“You don’t have to stick to just one thing.”
For more information about this story, check out the media player video above.