Nordic Seaplanes has signed an agreement for up to 15 Noemi aircraft, the all-electric amphibious aircraft being developed by Norway-based Elfly.
The nine seat Noemi will have a 200km (125 miles) range, a 200km/h (125mph) cruising speed and will be 20dB quieter than current seaplanes. Elfly plans for Noemi to be Type Certified in 2030.
Nordic Seaplanes is Europe’s only airline flying seaplanes on regular scheduled services and charter. The company operates two DHC6-300 Twin Otters on a 38-minute route between Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark’s two biggest cities. It will become the world’s first company to fly a Noemi when the aircraft enters service.
The Copenhagen to Aarhus route supports up to 168 passengers every weekday and has run since 2016. The company also offers sightseeing flights and charter flights to anywhere with a large enough body of water.
The initial agreement with Elfly is for five Noemis, with an option for an additional 10. The deal is worth up to US$150 million with the aircraft delivered over the coming decade.
The agreement also covers the two companies cooperating to explore new coastal aviation markets beyond Scandinavia and for Nordic Seaplane’s operations team to partner with Elfly on the development of Noemi.
Speaking at a signing event for the deal in Copenhagen, Denmark, Ole Christiansen, chairman of the board and CEO of Nordic Seaplanes said, “We have a very successful operation with our Twin Otters, but we know we are polluting the environment.
“We are trying to minimize our impact and look to the future. Sustainable Aviation Fuel is expensive and we cannot fly it on 100%, so we have the ambition to run on batteries.”
The partnership will consider potential seaplane routes in several locations around the world, including Denmark, the Canary Islands, Malta and Greece.
“We are keeping our aims realistic and have signed for five aircraft with an option for another 10 initially, but there are lots of possibilities around the world for more coastal aviation, added Christiansen.
Eric Lithun, CEO and founder of Elfly said, “At the outset of our program we said we would build and operate the aircraft, establishing our own AOC. However, collaborating with Nordic Seaplanes, with its operational experience, makes a lot of sense.
“We can learn much from them about operating in a challenging environment and together we aim to tap seaplane markets beyond Scandinavia,” he said. “The renaissance of the seaplane is coming.”
Elfly moved into 1,200 square meters of space at Torp Sandefjord Airport in Southern Norway earlier this year. The company, which now employs 30 people will build and test the first full-salce Noemi seaplane from Torp.
Engineers at Elfly have already built two electric aircraft, a two-seater prototype seaplane and an aircraft for the Nordic Air Racing Team. Type Certification is planned to be with EASA to CS23, so Noemi could be expanded to have up to 19-seats.
The battery-electric aircraft will be powered by two electric motors with a combined output of up to 1MW. “We are building a composite plane and working with the world’s leader in battery packs and electric engines,” said Lithun.
