Norwegian Widerøe is the largest regional carrier operating in the Nordics. Today, the airline operates a substantial fleet of older DeHavilland Dash 8 turboprops and three new Embraer E190-E2 jets. It has established a subsidiary focused entirely on sustainable flying - Widerøe Zero - to enable its transition towards decarbonized air travel.

What the airline calls 'a consultancy-cum-incubator for a revolution in aviation' is hoping that while its work will be immediately accessible for Norway with its particular topography and extensive network of short-haul routes, it will also benefit other countries in Europe and beyond. Former Director of Strategy at Widerøe and new CEO of Widerøe Zero, Andreas Kollbye Aks, says,

“We have established Widerøe Zero because we need the freedom to think afresh. There are established ways of doing things in every existing airline. Running a zero-emissions fleet is going to be completely different.”

Collaborations and partnerships

The new subsidiary will take on all the tasks for Widerøe to work on regulatory, commercial, and financial challenges to bring zero-emission aircraft into operation. Widerøe Zero has already partnered with Embraer's eVTOL branch EVE in order to bring electric urban air mobility vehicles to Norway by 2026.

Furthermore, the two parties have established an additional 12-month partnership with Rolls-Royce to explore aircraft design, market demand, operations, and propulsion solutions to accelerate technologies necessary for the transition towards decarbonization. The study will cover a broad range of applications, including all-electric, hydrogen fuel-cell, and hydrogen-fueled gas turbine-powered aircraft.

Wideroe Getty
Photo: Getty Images

Preparing for upcoming fleet renewal and new technologies

While these technologies may not mature yet for years to come, as previously mentioned, Widerøe today operates a fleet consisting primarily of aging Dash 8 aircraft. Between them, the 40 planes have an average age of 23.8 years. The oldest, 23 DHC-8-100s, are 27.5, while the youngest, ten DHC-8-400s, are 14.6. This means that Widerøe is approaching the need to buy new planes.

The airline also has another partnership with Rolls-Royce and Italian aeronautics company Tecnam to develop a commuter-sized all-electric aircraft based on the Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft and seating 11 passengers. In March last year, the parties stated that the project, known as the P-Volt, was already 'halfway there'.

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Widerøe aims to have an all-electric aircraft in service by 2026. Photo: Tecnam

First zero-emissions plane by 2026

Widerøe has set high goals for its environmental strategy. By 2026, the airline wants to operate at least one zero-emission aircraft. And by 2030, it aims to begin replacing all of its then remaining Dash 8 planes currently serving the Norwegian short-haul segment with zero-emission technology. Stein Nilsen, CEO of Widerøe, commented,

“Committing to conventional technology at the time of a tipping point in commercial aviation would be foolhardy: kerosene-powered planes will quickly lose value as zero-emissions technology takes hold, and certainly well ahead of the depreciation curve expected during the typical lifespan of a commercial aircraft.”

To counteract the risks of investing in new technology, Widerøe Zero will explore ways to hedge financing risks, such as procuring planes on a lend-lease basis and using the government's seat subsidies.

Policy and regulation frameworks for electric aircraft are yet to be developed. However, with Norway's previous track record of tax exemptions for electric cars and the country's renewable electricity supply, there is great potential for it to become the first primarily decarbonized regional air market. How far the applications can be exported remains to be seen.

Source: European Regions Airline Association