This year’s conference was opened by Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nygård, Director General of CAA Norway Lars Kobberstad, and Avinor CEO Abraham Foss. Together, they highlighted the significant steps the industry has taken over the past year, both nationally and internationally.
– Aviation is changing, and we are now seeing a completely new drive and determination to achieve zero-emission operations, said Kobberstad.
Experiences from the test arena
Jan Petter Steinland from the Civil Aviation Authority and Bergljot Tjønn from Avinor represented the International Test Arena and shared recent results and experiences from the ongoing work taking place there.
The goal is to create a safe and efficient framework for testing new technologies in aviation.
Bergljot Tjønn, presenting the results from the International Test Arena.
The test arena has become a key tool for innovation in the sector – and several stakeholders from different countries are following it closely.
An international perspective on innovation
Among the international participants was Elvis Baguma from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). He emphasised the importance of regulatory sandboxes to enable innovation:
“We need regulatory sandboxes to take innovation further. As regulators, we also need to scale up to meet new technology,” said Baguma.
Safety and sustainability hand in hand
Sølvi Solvoll from CAA Norway presented Innovation Advisory Services, an initiative that helps stakeholders identify the right measures for sustainable projects. Kristine Anda followed with a presentation on how safety can be integrated into innovation efforts without hindering progress.
Both contributions illustrated how safety and sustainability can go hand in hand.
A united industry community
The discussions and presentations highlighted a clear direction for the industry. In an atmosphere characterised by engagement and collaboration, there was a shared understanding that the transition towards zero emissions requires action now.
– ZERAC25 showed that we are united in the goal of greener aviation. We also expect to see new technologies contributing to a more diverse and improved air mobility structure, said Jan Petter Steinland, Strategic Analysis and Transformation Manager at the CAA Norway.
– Through collaboration across borders and sectors, we can turn the visions of zero emissions into reality.
