H2FLY, the Stuttgart-based developer of hydrogen fuel cell technologies for aircraft, has announced it is another step closer to making zero-emission commercial air travel a reality.

As key players from the global aviation and aerospace industry come together for Farnborough International Airshow (July 18-22), H₂-electric aviation company H2FLY has revealed that, in just a few weeks’ time, the company’s revolutionary HY4 aircraft - which is currently operated using pressurized gaseous H₂ - will be modified to receive a new liquid H₂ tank, which will double the range capability of the HY4 aircraft.

Following the integration of the new tank and fuel cells, the aircraft is planned to enter a rigorous program of ground testing early in 2023 and is expected to be the world’s first commercial aircraft to fly using liquid H₂.

Not only will reaching this milestone enable better range, but it will also be the first time the team has handled liquid H₂ on-board. This marks another significant step towards H2FLY’s goal of delivering the world’s first fully H₂-electric powertrain, which integrates fuel cells with liquid H₂; critical in the pursuit of achieving true zero-emissions medium and long-haul flight.

For more than 10 years, H2FLY has been researching, testing, and refining, resulting in the development of the HY4, a four-seat aircraft with H₂-electric propulsion, that first took flight in 2016. There have been several key milestones across the past two years, including:

• In 2020 H2FLY was granted a permit to fly the latest generation of the HY4 aircraft, which featured a fully redundant powertrain architecture. Across more than 90 takeoffs, the company successfully demonstrated the applicability of H₂ electric propulsion solutions in aviation.
• In 2021 the company signed a strategic partnership with aircraft manufacturer Deutsche Aircraft that will see the companies work together to fly a CS25 class aircraft powered by H2FLY’s H₂ fuel cell technology. The climate-neutral regional aircraft, which is expected to fly in 2025, is planned to have a 2,000 km range and seat up to 40 passengers.
• Earlier this year, the company completed a cross-country flight, from Stuttgart, Germany to Friedrichshafen, covering 77 miles, marking the first time a H₂ powered passenger plane has flown between two commercial airports.
• Also, this year, the company set what is believed to be a world altitude record for a H₂ aircraft, flying at 7,230 feet, confirming the company’s position as a leader in this new category.

"An aircraft that uses liquid hydrogen has the potential to transform the way we travel between cities, regions and countries, delivering true zero-emissions flight on medium and long-haul flights,” said Dr. Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO of H2FLY. “Liquid hydrogen has huge advantages over the alternative pressurized hydrogen gas, not least because it becomes possible to carry a far greater quantity on board an aircraft. The result is that significantly longer ranges are possible. “At H2Fly we’ve always been focused on delivering and demonstrating new technology, rather than just talking about it. As we head into this exciting new phase for the company, we’re looking forward to continuing that tradition and proving this important new technology.”