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Electric aviation awaits a battery breakthrough

With batteries still too heavy, start-up plane makers are exploring hybrid options for new aircraft.

The flight had simulated a planned cargo route between the coastal cities of Stavanger and Bergen, and for the next few months test-flights will be carried out, as part of the country's move towards establishing low-emission aviation. The test-flights in Norway follow a whirlwind European tour, which kicked off in Ireland, and saw Alia debut at the Farnborough and Paris Air Shows, as well as making stops in Germany and Denmark. "I'm convinced that the next major breakthrough in aerospace will come on the back of electric propulsion," says Beta's chief revenue officer Shawn Hall, who's a former fighter pilot.

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