15 new hydrogen-powered Islanders for Evia Aero
January 9, 2025
Bremmen-based start-up Evia Aero has signed a LOI for 15 new Britten-Norman Islanders in a significant order for the UK OEM, due to start delivery in 2027, which will subsequently be converted to hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion systems by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS).
Praising a product that is “already in use worldwide and has proven itself,” Evia Aero is “fully committed to the Britten-Normal Islander. The aircraft fulfils all the skills we need as an operator for short-haul flights,” explained Evia Aero CEO Florian Kruse. With the company’s vision to “build a sustainable regional air transport network through state-of-the-art hydrogen and electric drive technologies,” the ‘green’ variant of the ‘tried and tested’ nine-seat Islander aircraft will fit in well with its sustainability intentions.
The deal will be a welcome move for Bembridge-based Britten-Norman, which repatriated its production line from Romania in 2023. At the time, the company stated the first new UK-built Islander was due for completion in May 2024, although later suggested that a shift to aftermarket components had since become a primary priority. However, following the input of “significant capital” in October 2024, Britten-Norman expects to see “volumes increasing initially to four aircraft a year and then to eight aircraft per year by 2028”.
With Evia Air to take delivery of its first Islander in 2027, this would fit in well with certification timelines of its proposed hydrogen retrofit system, also expected around the same time. In November 2022, Evia Aero signed a deal with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) for a further five hydrogen fuel-cell based conversion kits for the Islander, taking its total units under LOI to 15.
CAeS is currently developing a modular, certifiable hydrogen retrofit solution for the Islander, successfully integrating the design of its fuel cell system and electric propulsion into an Islander nacelle in March 2024. The Bedfordshire-based complex aircraft modification company stated in June 2025 that it was moving closer to the airborne test of its hydrogen powertrain system, expecting the technology to enter service by 2027. Although a platform-agnostic product, the retrofit system – producing 110% of the power of the thermal engine it replaces – has initially been developed with the Islander in mind.
In July 2024, Evia Aero subsidiary Evia Energy also partnered with CAeS “to partner in the development of airport infrastructure to enable both electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft operations at regional airports,” with Kruse stating: “our business model necessitates the early cooperation with regional airports to ensure the infrastructure is available”.
