German start-up airline Evia Aero this week launched plans to start subregional scheduled flights in northern Europe using nine-seat Britten Norman Islander aircraft converted to hydrogen propulsion. In a June 16 announcement with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), the businesses said they will work together to implement the UK company’s plans for a hydrogen fuel cell conversion program for the aircraft.
The partnership will focus mainly on how the aircraft will be operated and the provision of hydrogen refueling infrastructure. The companies have not announced how many aircraft Evia Aero intends to acquire for its fleet, or on what terms, but they did say they aim to get the conversion approved for commercial service under a supplemental type certificate in 2025.
The existing Islanders are powered by a pair of piston or turboprop engines, provided respectively by Lycoming or Rolls-Royce. These will be replaced by a fuel cell and electric motors running on hydrogen gas.
CAeS has been developing the new propulsion system since 2019 with UK government funding for Project Fresson. Initially, the company intended to produce a hybrid-electric system, but last year it decided to change its approach after concluding that existing battery technology would not meet its performance objectives.
At its headquarters at Cranfield Airport in the UK, CAeS employs more than 90 people and has whole aircraft design capability. It also has experience in developing modifications to existing aircraft.
Evia Aero is based at Bremen in northern Germany, which is an established aerospace hub. The new airline’s business model is based on the goal of offering travelers environmentally sustainable options for regional air service in Europe.
“Sustainable aviation can only be implemented through exchange and teamwork,” said Evia Aero founder and CEO Florian Kruse. “The outstanding development of Cranfield and the commercial knowledge of markets in Europe of Evia Aero are now combined.”
In October 2021, Reaction Engines joined the Project Fresson team. It will provide fuel cell cooling technology to work with the hydrogen fuel cell system being provided by Ricardo UK and fuel tanks from Innovatus Technologies to contain the gaseous hydrogen.
The Islander conversion represents the first phase of Project Fresson. In the longer term, CAeS aspires to develop 100-seat hydrogen airliners, and its next step will likely be to convert an as-yet-unspecified 19-seater turboprop.
“CAeS is delighted to have entered into this collaboration with Evia Aero [as] subregional operations will be where zero-emissions flight will first enter service,” said CAeS chief executive Paul Hutton. “This technology will help redefine regional connectivity and Evia’s planned route network perfectly aligns with the hydrogen Islander aircraft and its expected performance.”
The company sees plenty of commercial potential in the Islander, with its short takeoff and landing performance making it ideal for remote communities that depend on low-volume air links. Its launch customer, announced in 2021, is the UK’s Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG), which has long used Islanders on its Skybus flights connecting the archipelago to the UK mainland 30 miles away. It views the hydrogen-powered conversion as an ideal alternative to far slower ferry services and helicopters.
Last year, the Islander’s manufacturer, Britten-Norman, announced that it is looking to acquire preowned aircraft from its existing operators. The Isle of Wight-based business will develop the required changes to the airframe’s design, for the conversion as well as for possible new-build hydrogen-powered models.
[Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the Britten-Norman Islander is now out of production. Although Britten-Norman stopped producing the aircraft themselves, they have since been manufactured by the Romanian company Intreprinderea de Reparatii Material Aeronautic (IRMA) as well as Avions Fairey in Belgium.]
