Copenhagen Helicopter and its AOC operator partner Copenhagen AirTaxi, both based at Roskilde airport, have signed a conditional order with Dufour Aerospace for its cargo Aero2 UAV and its passenger Aero3 aircraft. They aim to strengthen initiatives to introduce environmentally friendly and efficient transportation in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Norway.

“With Dufour’s Aero3 electric hybrid aircraft, we want to build on our initiatives and extend into the remaining rural areas of Denmark, including many of its small islands, where constructing an airfield is either unlikely soon or unfeasible. Our goal is to create affordable and swift connectivity that is accessible to all,” says Henrik Bendix, co-founder of Copenhagen Helicopter.

The company wants to establish a cargo route between Odense and other parts of the southern Funen archipelago with the Aero2 by 2026, initially on a trial basis. This will serve as a learning process for the operation and maintenance of Dufour’s tiltwing aircraft, and once the Aero3 is ready in 2030, Copenhagen Helicopter plans to expand the service to include passenger transport in this region and beyond.

“Dufour Aerospace is very pleased to be part of this great initiative in Denmark,” says Thomas Pfammatter, CEO and co-founder of Dufour Aerospace. “Efficiency, safety and operational versatility are key to providing our customers with a useful product. In an area with huge geographical obstacles, these aircraft have the potential to change the transportation setup of a country. This is true for Aero2 in uncrewed critical cargo applications and for Aero3 in crewed aviation. These aircraft will make connectivity and logistics dramatically simpler, more ecological and cheaper than today, and Denmark is an ideal place for this.”

Martin Winther Andersen, co-founder and CEO of Copenhagen Helicopter, explains: “The Aero2 is a drone that can lift up to 40kg of freight or equipment, such as cameras, while the Aero3 aircraft seats seven passengers plus a pilot. Within AAM we focus on aircraft that can develop public transportation in a third dimension, that will be electric, have a short charging time and can operate in all weather conditions. Dufour’s Aero3 is one of the few aircraft that can meet all these requirements.

“In addition to electric flight, it can also fly as a hybrid. A small combustion engine running on sustainable aviation fuel can provide electric power over a range of up to 1,000km, giving us new opportunities to look at our neighbouring countries and serve those regions where charging infrastructure can be a challenge.”