Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) this week opened the refurbished research and development facility where it will advance its plans to bring hydrogen-powered regional airliners to market in 2026. The company is working with UK airframer Britten-Norman to produce carbon-free versions of its Islander family of nine-passenger aircraft, which currently run on a pair of piston or turboprop engines.
Operating from a modernized hangar and office on the campus of Cranfield University, which is the UK’s leading aviation school, CAeS is in the process of merging with Britten-Norman under an agreement announced in April. Completion of the legal process is pending, with the merger set to release the remaining tranche of £10 million ($13 million) in new funding from a consortium of investors called HydrogenOne Capital Growth. The consortium includes venture capital group HydrogenOne, Safran Corporate Ventures, and the UAE’s Strategic Development Fund.
