Aircraft
Hydrogen Demonstrator Flights Set To Start in the New Year
ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen plan to fly their respective hydrogen-powered regional airliners early next year.
ZeroAvia Dornier 228 hydrogen demonstrator on airport taxiway
ZeroAvia performs ground testing ahead of planned first flight early next year. (Photo: Oliver Kay)

The first flights of a pair of hydrogen-powered technology demonstrators of regional airliner designs appear set to happen early in 2023. As 2022 drew to a close, rivals ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen continued with final preparations for their respective flight tests of Dornier 228 and Dash 8-300 twin turboprop regional airliners.

On December 23, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a permit to fly for ZeroAvia’s 19-seat Dornier 228, which has participated in ground tests at Kemble Airport in England for several months. The U.S. start-up replaced one of the aircraft’s Honeywell TPE-331 turboprop engines with a hydrogen-electric powertrain.