Hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft operations by 2023?

ZeroAvia conducted the first flight of its hydrogen fuel cell six-seat Piper M-Class aircraft on 23 June from Cranfield University’s airfield. The flight was the fist made in the UK in what was described as a ‘commercial-scale’ aircraft powered b hydrogen. The company said it now has plans to develop a ten to 20 seat aircraft certified with hydrogen propulsion within the next three years, and a 50- to 100- seat aircraft by 2030.

The UK Government is working with Cranfield as part of its HyFlyer programme to advance the development of zero-emission aviation. The Piper’s piston engine was replaced by a powertrain consisting of electric motors, hydrogen fuel cells, and gas storage. ZeroAvia stated that this combination offered a greater more efficient energy-to-weight ratio than battery-based all-elecric propulsion and will make commercial operations practical far sooner in large aircraft and eVTOL platforms.

ZeroAvia believes that it will have a practical aircraft hydrogen-powered aircraft ready for commercial operations by 2023 carrying up to 500 passengers on flights of around 500nm. It has revealed that operating costs of such an aircraft will also be lower than that of an electric equivalent because the technology does not require the batteries to be replaced.