Elfly, a developer of an all-electric seaplane called Noemi announced recently it has moved into new facilities at Torp Sandefjord Airport in southern Norway, reports a press release.
The expanding company has taken a 1,160 square metre office and workshop space in the airport’s large hangar, where it plans to build the first full-scale Noemi seaplane. The new location offers plenty of space to expand as its program ramps up. Testing and validations will also be undertaken here.
Neighbours include the Norwegian Air Ambulance and its increasing fleet of emergency medical services H135 and H145 helicopters; several flying schools and training establishments; as well as regional airline Wideroe’s Dash 8‑Q400 maintenance facility.
Torp Airport is owned by the municipality of Sandefjord and Vestfold county, alongside Vestfold Flyplassinvest AS. It is the largest privately-owned airport in Norway, positioned 110 km southwest of Oslo, with a full-scale NATO standard runway. The airport enjoys international and national scheduled air services from Wideroe, Ryanair, Air Baltic, Norwegian and Wizz Air, along with various charter flights.
Torp Sandefjord Airport
Eric Lithun, Founder and CEO of Elfly, commented, “Torp Airport is an excellent new location for us to build on and engineer. It affords us plenty of space to grow for testing, while ramping up our team.”
He continued, “Moreover, the airport’s dynamic management are enthused by our plans to return seaplane travel to the fjords and lakes of Norway by using electric power.” The company will retain, for now, its present business unit in Bergen.
Gisle Skansen, CEO of TORP Sandefjord Airport, added, “We are thrilled of the news that Elfly has chosen our airport as their hub for developing next generation seaplanes. TORP is encouraging the company to introduce zero-emission aircraft and contribute towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly aviation. We look forward to following their progress very closely as a valued new tenant.”
Elfly is developing a full-scale prototype of its Noemi in collaboration with the Norwegian Government, with funding newly secured from Enova SF. Construction is on schedule to commence this summer. The goal is to fly the first prototype in 2026.
In preparation, Elfly’s team has swelled to 30 staff with senior engineers recently joining from Airbus, Pilatus Aircraft, HondaJet, Dornier Seawings and Heart Aerospace.
Eric Lithun
Background
The Elfly Group was founded in 2018 and established in Bergen, Norway. Its leading program is a modern-day amphibious aircraft with batteries and two electric engines, inspired by the de Havilland Twin Otter and Grumman’s Mallard.
The Noemi seaplane is designed for 200 km air journeys and is to be powered by two electric motors with up to 1MW combined output. Its design is part of a research project, funded by private investors and the Research Council of Norway.
Elfly is working to obtain certification for its prototype to CS23 Level 4, which enables the aircraft to evolve up to a 19-seat seaplane. Initially, it will be offered as a business/executive cabin with nine seats, plus luggage, complemented by a VIP layout with six seats. A tourist pleasure flight model with 13 seats, minus baggage, as well as cargo and medieval versions are also planned.
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