FAA Grants Universal Hydrogen Approval To Test Fuel-Cell-Powered Aircraft

The company replaced one of the engines on its de Havilland Dash 8-300 twin turboprop airliner with a hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain. The flying testbed recently completed taxi testing to evaluate its ground handling qualities and the performance of its fuel-cell electric powertrain at low power settings and airspeeds, the company said.

The power system in the Dash 8 is similar to a conversion kit that Universal makes for the ATR 72-600 regional airliner. The company said it expects the kits to be “certified and in commercial passenger service starting in 2025.” The Dash 8 is slated to make its first flight soon, during the first quarter of this year, at Grant County International Airport (KMWH) in Moses Lake, Washington.

Late last year Universal tested a modular hydrogen delivery system at its engineering center in Toulouse, France. The system is designed to eliminate the need for complex and expensive new fueling infrastructure to handle the zero-emission fuel.

“We are simultaneously providing a pragmatic, near-term solution for hydrogen infrastructure and delivery, as well as for converting existing passenger aircraft to use this lightweight, safe, and true-zero-emissions fuel,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “Today’s milestones are essential, important steps to putting the industry on a trajectory to meet Paris Agreement obligations. The only alternative is curtailing aviation traffic growth to curb emissions,” he said.