Iceland’s first commercial electric flight took place last week

The flight was operated onboard a Pipistrel Velis Electro aircraft.

Icelandair participated in a landmark event in Icelandic aviation last week when the company Rafmagnsflug ehf. operated the first commercial flight of an electric airplane in the country. During these flights, the President and the Prime Minister of Iceland were the first passengers.

Iceland’s first commercial electric flight took place last week. The company Rafmagnsflug ehf. (Electric Flight) brought the first electric plane to Iceland with the aim of taking the initiative towards the energy exchange of aviation, training staff in this new technology, and introducing it to the nation, explained Icelandair in a press release.

This electric airplane is a two-seater Pipistrel manufactured in Slovenia and a registration TF-KWH. According to the Icelandic Transport Authority, this aircraft was manufactured in 2021; it has a maximum weight of 600 kilograms and can only carry one passenger at a time. The electric plane is of similar size as the aircraft that flight academies use for flight training.

Icelandair said the commercial service last week represented the first step “in an important journey towards more environmentally friendly aviation. The opportunities for Iceland are great due to short domestic flight routes, access to green energy, and Iceland’s location between Europe and North America.”

The airplane will be used for flight training. Still, it is also expected that the public will be able to purchase sightseeing flights with this first electric plane in Iceland and experience traveling the skies on a Zero-Emission plane. Icelandair was only one of the many local companies involved in bringing the first electric flight to Iceland. The Icelandic airport administrator, Isavia, was also involved in the project. simpleflying.com