Norway skies become testing ground for Bristow/BETA’s CX300 electric aircraft

Advanced air mobility developer BETA Technologies and helicopter operator Bristow have commenced the flight test campaign for the fully electric ALIA CX300 conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft in Norway on August 8, 2025. 

The flights are being conducted by Bristow Norway, the local subsidiary of the US-based group, in cooperation with Norwegian government-owned airport operator Avinor and the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway (CAA Norway). 

Over a period of six months, the partners in this test program will evaluate the operational performance of BETA’s CX300 on flights between Stavanger (SVG) and Bergen (BGO) airports, both located in the southwest of Norway. However, the flight test program may expand at a later stage to other locations in Norway. 

While the BETA CX300 has seen extensive testing in almost real operational conditions throughout the US, including some transcontinental flights (with multiple stops along the way) and participation in the US military’s AFWERX program, this is the first large-scale testing program overseas. 

Norway’s Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nygård and Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen attended an event at Stavanger airport which kicked-started the test program, during which attendees could see the ALIA demonstrator already painted in the Bristow livery. 

BETA TechnologiesWhy Norway? 

The choice of Norway is not random since the Nordic country, which leads already in electric mobility on land with the adoption of electric cars and ferries, is also committed to decarbonizing its domestic air travel industry as soon as possible. 

The first tests with fully electric aircraft in Norway date back to as early as 2018, when airport operator Avinor organized a number of demonstration flights with two-seater Pipistrel Velis Aircraft. In the last few years, other Norwegian operators, such as regional carrier Wideroe (acquired by low-cost carrier Norwegian in 2023) have also established programs to evaluate the rollout of electric aviation in the Norwegian domestic air travel market. 

Norway is also a major market for Texas-based Bristow, which services the offshore North Sea oil and gas industry with its helicopter fleet.  

Bristow has long held an active interest in the advanced air mobility space. As well as this joint project with BETA Technologies, it also has an outstanding order with Vertical Aerospace for 50 eVTOL aircraft plus another 50 options and, together with the British startup, plans to offer turnkey service packages for eVTOL operators. 

The BETA Technologies CX300 ALIA demonstrator arrived in Norway after a journey across Europe that spanned several weeks, taking it to Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, where it participated in the 2025 Paris Air Show flight display, as well as Germany, Luxembourg and Denmark.  

To learn more about the BETA Technologies CX300 ALIA, then watch AeroTime’s video interview with the company’s co-founder and CEO Kyle Clark, conducted during the Paris Air Show 2025. 

The post Norway skies become testing ground for Bristow/BETA’s CX300 electric aircraft appeared first on AeroTime.

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