Norwegian start-up Elfly Group this week announced plans for an all-electric seaplane it says will be ready to enter commercial passenger-carrying service in 2030, with a cargo version ready by 2028. At an unveiling event in Oslo on June 14, the company said that early versions of the Noemi aircraft will have between six and 13 seats and will fly up to around 200 kilometers (109 nm) at speeds of up to 250 knots.
The Noemi (which stands for "no emissions") will be powered by a pair of as-yet-unspecified electric motors with a combined power output of one megawatt. Elfly plans to certify the aircraft under EASA’s CS23 Level 4 rules to give it scope to scale up the design to carry as many as 19 passengers. It also intends to offer cargo (carrying up to four one-ton standard pallets) and emergency medical support versions.
According to Elfly, it will be ready to fly a prototype of the Noemi in 2025. The company intends to be the launch operator for the aircraft and will apply for an air operator certificate to begin services along the west coast of Norway with an initial fleet of 15 seaplanes flying between fjords. “Thereafter, we could expand to other short-hop markets, considering that 80 percent of the world’s population live by the sea,” said Elfly CEO Eric Lithun, the IT entrepreneur who founded the company in 2018.
Rising to the Challenge of Scandinavia's Zero-carbon Policies
Norway’s challenging geography with population centers along a rugged coastline hemmed in by mountains would appear to make it a likely early adopter of zero-carbon amphibious aircraft. Another significant factor is the Norwegian government’s declared requirement for all domestic flights to be all-electric by 2040, with its Scandinavian neighbors in Sweden and Denmark pursuing similar policies.
Norwegian airline Widerøe has been looking into using eVTOL aircraft, such as the four-passenger model being developed by Eve Air Mobility, to connect some communities. It has also been evaluating Tecnam's new electric-powered PVolt fixed-wing aircraft, but this week the Italian manufacturer and Rolls-Royce announced they are scrapping this project. Heart Aerospace's planned ES-30 hybrid-electric airliner is another option being considered for the Scandinavian air transport sector.
Norwegian authorities are expected to invite bids soon for some early electric aircraft services between specific communities. Other likely routes would connect oil industry centers such as Bergen and Stavanger, for which Elfly says the downtown-to-downtown travel time could be cut to under an hour, giving welcome alternatives to a road trip taking at least four and a half hours or a ferry. In addition to its long coastline, Norway has more than 1,000 fjords and 450,000 lakes.
During the event in the Norwegian capital, Elfly showed guests its EG1A prototype, which is not configured for passengers. Design work for the project has been funded by private investors and the Research Council of Norway.
According to Elfly, Noemi’s design—which was inspired by boats with a hull—will minimize the power required for takeoffs and allow for operations with waves of up to two meters. Since it will fly at low altitudes, there is no need for the cabin to be pressurized, which Elfly says will simplify the type certification task and reduce weight by around 5 percent. The wings will have stabilizing floats.
There will be three cabin options for passenger-carrying versions of the Noemi, ranging from a six-seat VIP model to nine- and 13-seaters that could be used respectively for business flights or short tourist sightseeing trips. A large door will be available for use by passengers in wheelchairs or for loading freight.
So far, Elfy’s main development and production partners include the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, SINTEF (working on the full and sensor systems), and Norsk Titanium (providing 3D printed parts). The OSM Aviation Academy is working on the Noemi’s flight deck and preparing for flight training, while low-cost carrier Norwegian is helping with maintenance planning. The company is a member of the Nordic Electric Aviation Network.
Elfly is expanding its engineering workforce and has recruited specialists from companies such as eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium and Germany’s Dornier, which produced the 1980s-vintage Seastar amphibious aircraft. Chief technology officer Tomas Brødreskift established Equator Aircraft in 2010 and developed the P2 Xcursion electric aircraft.
Elfly is expected to announce further new partners and suppliers during next week’s Paris Air Show. It will also provide visitors with the chance to see virtual-reality concepts for the Noemi.
Lithun told FutureFlight he is not concerned about whether Elfly will be the first company to fly or certify an electric aircraft and is focusing instead on delivering realistic performance from a commercially viable product. He said that current seaplanes are outdated and that the sector is in urgent need of modernization.
Elfly is entering a market for a new-generation seaplane that Jekta is also targeting with its planned 19-passenger PHA-ZE 100 amphibian. The Switzerland-based company is also aiming to achieve EASA and FAA CS/Part-23 type certification, in its case aiming for service entry in 2029.
Competitors Vie To Reinvent Amphibious Aviation
Jekta says the PHA-ZE 100 (standing for Passenger Hydro Aircraft Zero Emission) will have a battery-electric powertrain initially, with the option to switch to hydrogen fuel cells at a later date. It anticipates operations on sectors of up to around 150 kilometers (94 miles) and speeds of up to 135 knots. This design features 10 wing-mounted propellers, each with its own 180-kilowatt electric motor mounted on a 30-meter wing.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., a start-up called Regent is preparing to "flight" test a full-scale prototype of a 12-passenger, all-electric wing-in-ground-effect sea glider called Viceroy. The company expects the vehicle, which will be certified under maritime rules, to have a range of 180 miles and to connect coastal communities.
Sea gliders fly exclusively above water by using an aerodynamic phenomenon known as the ground effect, in which air flowing below the vehicle provides lift. The technology represents somewhat of a cross between a traditional seaplane and a hovercraft, although sea gliders cannot hover. While a cushion of pressurized air under downward-facing propellers supports hovercraft, wing-in-ground-effect vehicles have forward-facing propellers that direct airflow beneath the craft, creating pressure to provide lift while simultaneously reducing lift-induced drag.
