KLM to partner with student team working on hydrogen aircraft

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has started a collaboration with the AeroDelft student team at Delft University of Technology to help make flying on hydrogen a reality.

The parties will work on AeroDelft's Project Phoenix which seeks to build a hydrogen-powered aircraft, the airline said last week. The project’s initial aim is the development of a drone, the Phoenix Prototype, which runs on an electric motor powered by liquid hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The drone has already performed its first flight. The next step is a manned hydrogen aircraft, the Phoenix Full Scale. The 50-strong student team has built the frame for this plane and is testing the hydrogen systems within the frame. It targets flying the manned aircraft in 2024 with gaseous hydrogen, and in 2025 with liquid hydrogen.

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According to KLM, developing and testing a hydrogen-powered aircraft will provide insights into how hydrogen could be used in aviation, including the design of liquid hydrogen tanks and safety features.