H2FLY, the Stuttgart-based developer of hydrogen fuel cell technologies for aircraft, 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 and confirming the company’s position as one of the leading companies in this new sector.
The news comes as the company also flew a 77-mile journey between Stuttgart and
Friedrichshafen on April 12th, marking the first time a hydrogen-electric passenger aircraft has
been piloted, between two major airports.
“This is a remarkable achievement for H2FLY, as no other hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft has flown between two commercial airports to date,” said Prof. Dr. Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO of H2FLY. “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 and the HY4 was presented to the general
public for the first time at the Aero Friedrichshafen event. 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.
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.”
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.
“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 the
e-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,” said head of AERO Roland Bosch and show
director Tobias Bretzel.