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Iceland’s Rulers Take Country’s First Electric Aircraft Flight

by Emily Gu
Iceland’s Rulers Take Country’s First Electric Aircraft Flight

The President and Prime Minister of Iceland recently took Iceland’s first 100% electric flight.

The flight, in the Velis two-seat electric light sport aircraft, manufactured by Pipistrel in Slovenia, is likely to be the first time that a head of government has flown in an all-electric aircraft. The flight was operated by Rafmagnsflug ehf.

While many countries in northern Europe have announced emission reduction plans, Iceland’s focus on green aviation is directly derived from the uniqueness of its aviation market.

The Icelandic government believes that in the short-term, all-electric aircraft will be suited to Iceland’s aviation market due to the country’s sparse population as well as the country’s complex terrain.

As early as December 2020, the Icelandic government announced its plan to achieve zero emissions on domestic flights by 2030, becoming the third Nordic country to announce such plans.

Pipistrel was acquired by Textron in April of this year. The Velis Electro aircraft is powered by a 60 kW motor and 20 kW battery, which can last for one hour. The battery takes about one hour to be fully charged.

Textron is planning to build up to 20 Velis Electro aircraft per month.

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