Hydrogen Flight Alliance takes off for green hydrogen skies

Key players in aviation and green hydrogen industries have officially launched the Hydrogen Flight Alliance (HFA) at Brisbane Airport aiming to inaugurate commercial aircraft flights utilising green hydrogen power.

The initial focus will be on enabling Australia’s first commercial emission free hydrogen powered flight between Brisbane Airport and Gladstone Airport in 2026, linking two cities with emerging green hydrogen infrastructure.

This route will be operated by Skytrans Airlines – part owned by NRL legend Jonathan Thurston – using a 15 seat Stralis B1900D-HE aircraft, designed and built in Brisbane.

The only emissions of this aircraft will be water vapour.

A year ago Stralis Aircraft and Queensland regional airline Skytrans Airlines announced they would develop Australia’s first zero-emissions hydrogen electric propulsion aircraft, based on a Beech 1900D airframe.

Stralis will test its demonstrator aircraft in early 2024 in South East Queensland, allowing the alliance to gain real world experience operating and refueling hydrogen aircraft.

The newly formed alliance brings together Stralis, Skytrans Airlines, Brisbane Airport, Gladstone Airport, Aviation Australia, BOC, a Linde Company, H2 Energy Company (h2ec), Griffith University and Central Queensland University.

Co-Founder & CEO of Stralis Aircraft Bob Criner said: “The HFA allows us to answer the most common question we hear from airline customers, which is how they will access affordable green hydrogen at airports in future.

“This is not a problem we can solve on our own, it requires industry collaboration.”

Green hydrogen has the potential to contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of air travel.

Formation of the alliance will establish a clean technology innovation hub in Queensland, generating jobs, training programmes and emission free aircraft manufacturing.

Director Strategy and Clean Energy at BOC Vesna Olles said: “As we transition to greener energy production and consumption, hydrogen is set to play an increasingly important role.

“It is an ideal way to store energy generated from renewable sources. And when generated from regenerative sources, it creates zero-emissions.”

Further reading:
Stralis Aircraft plans hydrogen powered aircraft

Picture: Johnathan Thurston