As the global aviation industry reeled from the impact of Covid-19, with thousands of jets grounded and passenger numbers down by 60 per cent, a bold initiative began at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) in Cranfield, England. Early in 2021, a team of 100 experts from across the UK launched a one-year intensive research project to investigate the best route to zero-emission commercial flight.
The FlyZero project examined key aspects of developing zero-emission aircraft, ranging from design challenges to operational requirements, and compared the potential of electric batteries, hydrogen and ammonia for the task. It found green liquid hydrogen (produced using electricity from renewables) was the most viable zero-emission fuel for commercial aviation and concluded that hydrogen aircraft have the potential to replace all short-haul flights and 93 per cent of long-haul ones.
FlyZero is one of several cutting-edge research programmes pointing to green...