Today, Air Greenland and Avolon issue a joint announcement to talk about a partnership that can show the way within the green transition in the aviation industry.

Air Greenland is among the first airlines in the European market to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to lease or purchase an aircraft that is CO2 neutral. The aviation industry has an important role to play in helping to combat climate change and reduce CO2 emissions. With the agreement, Air Greenland will thus be at the forefront when the VX4 eVTOL aircraft are ready for flight within 3 years.

- With today's announcement, Air Greenland marks the beginning of our long-term sustainability journey. We see the effects of climate change every day and therefore work purposefully to bring CO2-neutral travel to our region. With the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding, we as a company will be at the forefront of the climate revolution in air travel, says CEO, Jacob Nitter Sørensen.

In addition to a pilot, the aircraft will have room for four passengers and is expected to have a range of about 160 kilometers and fly up to 322 kilometers per hour. It becomes almost silent during flight, CO2-neutral and can land and take off vertically like a helicopter.

Working group on CO2-neutral travel in the Arctic

Greenland has also committed itself to being part of a working group to assess the possibility of commercializing CO2-neutral travel in the Arctic region.

- By participating in the working group, we will identify where it is ideal for the electric aircraft to fly and ensure that the certification meets both the local requirements in our region and the global requirements set within commercial aviation, explains Jacob Nitter Sørensen.

How large a VX4 fleet Air Greenland will invest in will be assessed by the working group in relation to the size of the market. But Air Greenland already sees potential in flying between Ilimanaq and Ilulissat in the near future.

- The VX4 aircraft will have many uses for Air Greenland. We already look forward to welcoming our first travelers aboard the flight between Ilulissat and Ilimanaq, where we have quite a few cabins. On that stretch, our guests can see the direct consequences of climate change, says Jacob Nitter Sørensen.

Avolon and Vertical Aerospace

Avolon has placed an order for 500 VX4 eVTOL aircraft with Vertical Aerospace, which manufactures the aircraft, and the company is considered to be a pioneer in electric aviation, as they have purposefully built up an experienced team in the eVTOl industry over the past five years.

Avolon's CEO, Dómhnal Slattery, is also pleased with today's announcement of the statement of intent.

- Since our first order, we have seen airlines around the world commit to traveling CO2-neutral by choosing the VX4 aircraft as the first step in their journey in the fight against CO2 emissions. Today's announcement with Air Greenland means that we are taking CO2-neutral journeys to the place where climate change has its most pronounced effect. We look forward to working with Air Greenland to bring the CO2-neutral VX4 aircraft to where it matters most, says Dómhnal Slattery.

Air Greenland is one of the first airlines in Europe to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for the aircraft, while 250 of the already stated orders are delivered in Brazil, up to 100 aircraft with Japan Airlines and a minimum of 100 aircraft with AirAsia.

22. marts 2022, 08:00 AM