Norway’s Elfly Group has signed a contract at the Paris Air Show with the European Aviation Safety Agency for the development of the conceptual prototype model of its Noemi (No Emissions)  all-electric commercial seaplane.

Elfly and EASA are signing a Pre-Application Contract agreement. This PAC involves agency review from the very beginning of the core development activities and eventually agreement on the flight conditions for the prototype aircraft.

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David Solar, Head of Sustainability, Research and Innovation, EASA, said: “We’re pleased to take this important first step with Elfly through the Pre-Application Contract process. The Noemi project represents an exciting and ambitious vision for the future of sustainable aviation, and we look forward to supporting Elfly as they progress towards a safe and flightworthy prototype. Collaborative early engagement is key to enabling innovative new aircraft like Noemi to reach the market in a safe and timely way.”

Noemi will serve as a valued platform for the future of aviation, highlighted Eric. “We have a fuselage and wing which outperforms the venerable de Havilland Twin Otter (floatplane) by a great margin,” he said.

Elfly held a public demonstration of a 1/5 scale model flight in Norway last week to demonstrate the concept. The company says it has amassed soft orders for 47 Noemis, worth an estimated $500 million with further interest for 300 more from operators from all over the world. The company is working toward the first flight of the conceptual prototype in 2027. Entry into service has a target year 2030.