This week, Icelandair reports that it participated in a significant event in Icelandic aviation history when the President of Iceland and the Prime Minister were the first passengers to fly in a 100% electric airplane. “These are the first steps in an important journey towards more environmentally friendly aviation” the company said and continued “The opportunities for Iceland are great due to short domestic flight routes, access to green energy and Iceland’s location between Europe and North America.”
Icelandair reports on its website that “The first electric airplane in Iceland is a two-seater Pipistrel, manufactured in Slovenia. It is of similar size as the planes that the flight academies use for flight training.
“The company Rafmagnsflug ehf. (Electric Flight) brought the first electric plane to Iceland with the aim of taking an initiative towards the energy exchange of aviation, training staff in this new technology and introducing it to the nation.
“Cooperation between stakeholders is a key factor when it comes to energy exchange, and it is therefore important that the largest sponsors are from aviation, airport operations, energy production and tourism; Icelandair, Isavia, Landsvirkjun and Hotel Rangá. Other sponsors are Landsbankinn, Geirfugl ATO, The Reykjavik Flight Academy, and the Iceland Aviation Academy, together with Matthías, Friðrik and Herjólfur Guðbjartsson.
“The airplane will be used for flight training, but it is also expected that the public will be able to purchase sightseeing flights with this first electric plane in Iceland and experience traveling the skies on a Zero-Emission plane.”
For more information
https://www.icelandairgroup.com/newsroom/news/the-first-passenger-flight-of-an-electric-airplane
(Image: Pipistrel)