Ostend-Bruges Airport has hosted a fully electric cargo aircraft for the first time, as part of a series of operational test flights within the Benelux region. The aircraft stopped at the airport’s NSAC Business Terminal.
The airports of Ostend-Bruges and Antwerp, which are managed under a single CEO, said they see a role for regional airports in testing and scaling electric aviation technology, citing the operational flexibility and space available at smaller airfields.
“Regional airports like Ostend-Bruges and Antwerp have the necessary space and operational flexibility required to thoroughly test and further scale up new technologies such as electric flying,” said Nathan De Valck, CEO of Ostend-Bruges and Antwerp Airport.
The airports plan to initially focus on critical cargo niches including the transport of organs and urgent medicines, alongside rapid e-commerce and high-value freight. De Valck said the next generation of electric and hybrid aircraft is designed to connect secondary cities and business hubs within a radius of 500 to 1,000km (270 to 540nm).
“We expect the technology to be ready for a broader rollout within a few years, allowing regular passenger transport and business aviation to launch as well,” he said.
Both airports are located in western Belgium, within range of the Netherlands, France, Germany, the UK and Luxembourg.
