Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) and German regional airline Evia Aero have agreed to collaborate on the creation of a 19-seat hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Evia has agreed to add 10 of each choice to its fleet, and the firms are investigating options to either modify an existing aircraft or construct a new type.
The Bremen-based operator also consented to buy five more units of the nine-seat Britten-Norman Islander powered by hydrogen, for which CAeS is creating a modification.

A scaled-up version of the hydrogen-fuel-cell-based propulsion system that CAeS is developing would be used in the envisioned 19-seat aircraft. The business stated that it is likely to apply this first with an existing aircraft while announcing plans for the larger system at the Farnborough International Airshow.

The maintenance needs and desired performance criteria will now be established with assistance from Evia Aero. According to the partners, the converted Islanders should be ready to go into service by 2025. Electric motors powered by hydrogen gas will replace the aircraft’s current engines, which will be replaced by a hydrogen fuel cell.