Becoming the first airline to join Embraer’s Energia Advisory Group, Norway-based Widerøe has signed an MoU to collaborate on defining and establishing the real-world requirements for sustainable, emission-free, and commercially viable aviation, the companies announced at the Farnborough International Airshow.
Named for the Energia family, the next-generation of 19- to 50-seat aircraft Embraer is currently designing, Energia Advisory Group aims to accelerate development and ultimately inform the choice of which Energia aircraft concept will come to market first.
“There are entrenched ways of doing things in our industry, but running a zero-emissions fleet is going to be completely different," said Andreas Kollbye Aks, former director of strategy at Widerøe and CEO of Widerøe Zero, its aviation sustainability-focused subsidiary. “This collaboration will get into the real-world detail, to shape the technology that will make Zero emissions flight a reality.”
Infrastructure, ground handling, aircraft performance, and cargo capacity are among the operational issues the advisory group is tasked with determining.
“Widerøe's expertise in, and commitment to, sustainable aviation is unrivaled,” said Arjan Meijer, president and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation. “The experience they and subsequent group members bring to the program will be a key foundation of Energia's successful development."
Complementing the Energia MoU, Embraer already works with Widerøe on “Project Zero,” a collaboration with Rolls-Royce to study a zero-emission aircraft of around 50 seats.
