Hydrogen fuel cell technology developer H2FLY has announced that its demonstrator aircraft, the HY4, set what is believed to be a new world record last week for hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft, flying at an altitude of 7,230 feet.
The Stuttgart-based company also flew a 77-mile journey between Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen on April 12, marking the first time a hydrogen-electric passenger aircraft has been piloted, between two major airports.
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 to participate in the AERO Friedrichshafen airshow, taking place from April 27. The HY4 will be presented to the general public for the first time and will be exhibited until the end of April. Up to now, testing of the HY4 has taken place exclusively in the test area around Stuttgart Airport. Stuttgart Airport is a long-term partner of H2FLY and plays a key role in supporting the company with its infrastructure.
“Another step on the long road of aviation transformation”
Walter Schoefer, Speaker of the Board of Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH added: “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.”
“In the airport’s more than one-hundred-year history, this is the first time a hydrogen-powered aircraft has landed here in Friedrichshafen,” said Claus-Dieter Wehr, Managing Director of Friedrichshafen Airport. “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.”
The four-seat HY4 has successfully demonstrated the applicability of hydrogen-electric propulsion solutions in aviation during several flight campaigns and with more than 90 takeoffs. It also serves as a test platform to further develop the propulsion system and thus lay the foundation for development work on a hydrogen-electric-powered, 40-seat Dornier 328, which will be developed jointly with Deutsche Aircraft by 2025.
