{"id":769,"date":"2020-09-30T16:38:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T16:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jpaerocom.co.uk\/news\/?p=769"},"modified":"2023-10-30T00:38:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T00:38:36","slug":"hydrogen-powered-aviation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jpaerocom.co.uk\/news\/hydrogen-powered-aviation\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Covid-19, is hydrogen powered aviation about to take off?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The global pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions have hit aerospace hard, with many of us expecting the aviation industry to never quite look the same again. But out of this crisis, are we about to witness the birth of a new and \u2013 dare we say, \u2018positive\u2019? \u2013 development that changes the way aircraft are designed and built?<\/em><\/p>\n

The truth is that commercial aviation was in flux before the COVID-19 pandemic. An insatiable demand for cheap flights had created a difficult model, one that many airlines struggled with.<\/p>\n

Airlines were operating on such fine margins that many we literally flying on fumes. Whilst one or two managed to make the system work to their advantage, the rest just couldn\u2019t keep up.<\/p>\n

The sad news of the Boeing 747 is another case in point. A timeless classic that opened the world up to the masses it may be, but its sheer awesome size meant that the only way it could work was by filling it up with cheap fares. Great news for passengers, bad news for airlines.<\/p>\n

Both the 747 and its less successful but equally beautiful competitor the A380 have officially seen their last days.<\/p>\n

Whilst they will continue to fly for many years to come, production for these pre-pandemic behemoths ceases in 2022 and 2021 respectively.<\/p>\n

So, what does the future hold?<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that many will see this awful event as a chance to begin again, to renew and refresh. The world, however, probably just wants to get back to normal flying.<\/p>\n

Yet it\u2019s clear that other factors are coming into play.<\/p>\n

The combination of pandemics and environmental factors could mean that mass air travel never quite returns to pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n

The European Union Green Reduction Deal alone will make it hard for the aviation industry to go back to how it was before.<\/p>\n

New technology, new environmental standards, and new human behaviour, all mean that things look set to change.<\/p>\n

Hydrogen powered aircraft<\/h2>\n

One of the most exciting recent developments has been the announcement of the first ever hydrogen powered flight.<\/p>\n

A hydrogen fuel cell powered commercial-grade aircraft took place just recently in Cranfield, U.S.A.<\/p>\n

Developed by ZeroAvia, a leading innovator in decarbonising commercial aviation, the hydrogen-powered Piper M-class six seat plane completed taxi, take-off, a full pattern circuit and landing from the company\u2019s R&D facility.<\/p>\n

You can watch this historic moment here: