H2FLY, a Stuttgart-based developer of hydrogen fuel cell technologies for aircraft, announced that its demonstrator aircraft, the HY4, set a new world record for hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft last week, flying at an altitude of 7,230 feet and reiterating the company’s position as a leader in this emerging sector.
The announcement comes on the heels of the business flying a 77-mile route between Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen on April 12th, the first time a hydrogen-electric passenger aircraft has been piloted between two major airports.
Commenting Prof. Dr. Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO of H2FLY said “This is a remarkable achievement for H2FLY, as no other hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft has flown between two commercial airports to date. We are also thrilled to have set what we believe to be a new world record by reaching an altitude of over 7,000 feet with our HY4 aircraft. We want to thank our long-time partners Stuttgart Airport, University of Ulm, DLR Stuttgart, Friedrichshafen Airport, and AERO Friedrichshafen, for supporting us in our mission to make sustainable travel a reality.”
The aircraft flew the mission to Friedrichshafen in order to attend the AERO Friedrichshafen airshow, which runs from April 27th to the 30th. The HY4 will be unveiled to the public for the first time and will remain on display through the end of April. Until date, the HY4 has been tested primarily in the test region surrounding Stuttgart Airport. Stuttgart Airport has been a long-standing collaborator of H2FLY, assisting the company with its infrastructure.
Walter Schoefer, Speaker of the Board of Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH concluded: “We are delighted that HY4 has achieved this next technical milestone. This is another step on the long road of the aviation transformation process towards a more climate-friendly air transport. We see hydrogen-electric engines as the key to zero-emission flying and have therefore been promoting the HY4 project for many years. As a ‘fairport’, we want to continue to be a pioneer and enabler for the next steps when it comes to sustainability.”
Claus-Dieter Wehr, Managing Director of Friedrichshafen Airport commented: “In the airport’s more than one-hundred-year history, this is the first time a hydrogen-powered aircraft has landed here in Friedrichshafen. We are very pleased that we can thus play our part in the further development and testing of hydrogen-electric propulsion. Particularly in view of the numerous projects on sustainable mobility in aviation, I see great opportunities for the Friedrichshafen site to create the framework conditions for innovative aviation companies and to attract them here.”
During multiple flying campaigns and more than 90 takeoffs, the four-seat HY4 effectively established the usefulness of hydrogen-electric propulsion solutions in aviation. It also acts as a test platform for further developing the propulsion system, laying the groundwork for the construction of a 40-seat Dornier 328 powered by hydrogen, which will be built in collaboration with Deutsche Aircraft by 2025.
“Sustainable aviation is the central topic at this year’s AERO Friedrichshafen. We are, therefore, really pleased that Prof. Dr. Kallo and his team from H2FLY are celebrating a trade show world premiere at AERO Friedrichshafen with the HY4 hydrogen-electric aircraft. For more than ten years, we have been showcasing innovations from the field of electric aviation as part of thee-flight-expo. With the AERO Sustainable Aviation Trail, we are illustrating how innovative the entire general aviation sector and this year’s AERO are with over 75 registered exhibitors on this sustainability trail in 11 exhibition halls,” enthuse Head of AERO Roland Bosch and Show Director Tobias Bretzel of AERO Friedrichshafen.
Aviation sustainability is also a priority for Friedrichshafen Airport and this year’s AERO, one of the world’s largest aviation trade fairs with over 600 exhibitors from 35 countries. From April 27 to 30, H2FLY will be on hand at the air show with its stand and the HY4 in Hall A7. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO of H2FLY, will deliver the keynote address “Powered by Hydrogen H2FLY – Emission-Free Flying” at the “IASA Conference – GREENER SKIES AHEAD The Future of Regional Aviation Pioneering Sustainable Air Transportation” on April 27 at 11:00 a.m. CET.
