JAL and H2FLY to bring hydrogen aviation to Japan
H2FLY, the Stuttgart, Germany-based developer of hydrogen-electric powertrain systems for aircraft, Japan Airlines and JAL Engineering (JALEC) have signed an agreement to research and evaluate the feasibility of hydrogen-electric aviation…
H2FLY, the Stuttgart, Germany-based developer of hydrogen-electric powertrain systems for aircraft, Japan Airlines and JAL Engineering (JALEC) have signed an agreement to research and evaluate the feasibility of hydrogen-electric aviation in Japan.
The agreement comes two months after H2FLY completed the world’s first piloted flight of liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft.
In the coming months, the parties will collaborate on a study that explores the efficacy of hydrogen-powered fixed-wing aircraft in accordance with JAL’s commitment to reducing emissions from commercial flights.
The study will evaluate the powertrain requirements needed for varying distances of flights and aircraft size, as well as technical specifications according to JAL’s commercial operations. H2FLY will subsequently test and validate the findings of the study.
CEO and co-founder of H2FLY, Josef Kallo, said: “At H2FLY, we have dedicated the past decade to making significant advancements in the development of our hydrogen technology for aircraft. We are honored to be collaborating with Japan Airlines who are leading the way in securing a sustainable future for the aviation industry.”
President of JALEC, Ryo Tamura, said: “We highly admire the outstanding technology of H2FLY. Through this partnership, we’re moving forward to the realization of hydrogen-powered flight in Japan. Our collaboration lets us lead and contribute to safe and sustainable aviation in Japan.”
H2FLY milestone
H2FLY continues to lead the way in hydrogen-electric powertrain systems for aircraft, building and testing six generations of powertrains to date.
In September 2023 the company successfully completed the world’s first piloted flight of an electric aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen.
The series of flights were completed with H2FLY’s piloted HY4 demonstrator aircraft, fitted with a hydrogen-electric fuel cell propulsion system and a liquid hydrogen tank system, doubling the maximum range of the HY4 aircraft from 750 km to 1,500 km.
The campaign was the culmination of Project HEAVEN, a European-government-supported consortium, led by company.
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