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H2FLY and Japan Airlines announce sustainable hydrogen aviation partnership

H2FLY, hydrogen-electric powertrain developers for aircraft, has announced a partnership with Japan Airlines and JAL Engineering to research and evaluate the feasibility of hydrogen-electric aviation in Japan.

The HY4 demonstrator aircraft taking flight
The HY4 demonstrator aircraft taking flight - H2FLY

The agreement comes two months after H2FLY completed the world’s first piloted flight of liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft.

According to the partners, the initial months of collaboration will focus on a study to explore the efficacy of hydrogen-powered fixed-wing aircraft, in accordance with JAL’s commitment to reducing emissions from commercial flights.

The study aims to 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 said they will subsequently test and validate the findings of the study.

In a statement, CEO and co-founder of H2FLY, Professor 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 honoured to be collaborating with Japan Airlines who are leading the way in securing a sustainable future for the aviation industry.”

Ryo Tamura, President of JALEC, added: “We highly admire the outstanding technology of H2FLY. Through this partnership, we’re moving forward to the realisation of hydrogen-powered flight in Japan. Our collaboration lets us lead and contribute to safe and sustainable aviation in Japan.”

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