A small aeroplane cruising toward Copenhagen may have looked ordinary to most Danes on the ground – but unlike every other flight in Danish history, this aircraft was all electric.
The US aerospace company Beta Technologies’ electric plane, ALIA CTOL, completed a 200 kilometre journey between Sønderborg and Copenhagen airports this week, marking Denmark’s first test flight with an aircraft that burns no fuel and can be charged in less than an hour.
The company says the fixed-wing electric aeroplane provides a safe, quiet, and low-cost alternative to traditional aircraft and helicopters.
With its wingspan of 15 metres, ALIA CTOL is the size of a Sprinter van. It can fly at a maximum speed of 281 kilometres per hour, according to Beta Technologies.
The aeroplane also emits up to 84 per cent less carbon dioxide than a traditional helicopter of a similar size.
“Many say that green aviation is something for the future,” Jákup Sverri Kass, director of Sønderborg Airport, said at the take-off event in the city 325 kilometres west of Copenhagen.
“But we are standing here today and seeing that the future has begun. This is not just a test. This is the start of something new,” he added.
The American aeroplane kicked off a European grand tour in May from Shannon Airport in Ireland. It has since dropped by multiple airports on the continent to demonstrate the aircraft’s all-electric operation and charging infrastructure.
In August, the plane will begin operating cargo flights between Bergen and Stavanger in Norway as part of tests on zero-emission aviation led by the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority.
Charging is the main challenge
ALIA CTOL is designed for regional flight and can be configured for both passenger and cargo travel with up to five passenger seats.
Beta Technologies says the longest distance the aircraft has flown on a single charge is 622 kilometres.
The plane can be charged using a standard fast charger for electric cars in just 20 to 40 minutes, the company says.
The short-range aeroplane has been carrying its own charger and plugging it into a power unit at airports, which takes longer, due to the lack of permanent charging facilities. It has been making pit stops to charge at airports across Europe.
“There's no existing infrastructure on the ground in Europe like there is in the United States today,” Shawn Hall, the company’s chief revenue officer, said from the tarmac at Copenhagen Airport after the plane landed.
In Denmark, Copenhagen Airport CEO Christian Poulsen told Euronews Next the airport will need to adapt its infrastructure to be able to charge aircraft and accommodate a mix of traditional and electric aeroplanes “when these aircraft come to town”.
The cost of batteries and other lightweight materials will be another factor for electric aeroplane manufacturers to contend with, according to Jørgen Mads Clausen, chair emeritus of the Danish technology giant Danfoss.
He predicts “battery technology” for larger electric planes will be available within the next decade.
“But just like with electric cars, it’s important to be ready when things take off. Because when the technology matures, things will move fast,” Clausen said at the take-off event.
Sustainable aviation in Europe
The Danish government has committed to launching its first fully sustainable domestic flight route by 2025, with a broader target that all domestic routes will be fossil-free by 2030.
This year, it has introduced a flat fee of 13 Danish kroner (€1.74) per passenger to finance the transition toward sustainable domestic flight.
Several Nordic countries have committed to climate goals for their aviation industries.
In Norway, all domestic flights aim to be electric or hybrid by 2040, while in Sweden, all domestic flights should be fossil-free by 2030 and international flights are expected to follow by 2045.
A Swedish-American company, Heart Aerospace, is developing a 30-passenger plane, the ES-30, designed to have a fully battery-powered range of 200 kilometres.
Other countries in Europe, such as the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom, have also tested similar-sized e-planes.
But currently electric planes can, at best, fly regionally within Europe because of their battery range, which means other technologies to reduce flight emissions could also help countries meet their sustainability targets.
Lasse Stenhøj Ingvardsen, a team manager of Renewable Energy Systems at the Danish Technological Institute, told Euronews Next that different technologies can be explored for sustainable aviation.
Many European countries are investing in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a type of fuel made from renewable resources, as well as hydrogen fuel, which doesn’t emit carbon dioxide.
“The SAF fuel will be one tool. The electric will be another tool. The hybrid solution will be a third tool. Maybe we will see hydrogen planes,” said Ingvardsen, who was not involved with the recent test flight.
“We don't need to stick to only one”.
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