Photo: Connect Airlines
SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) is considered the fastest, most efficient solution available for decarbonizing commercial aviation. Another way to achieve this goal is by converting existing airframes to hydrogen-electric powertrains. Connect Airlines believes it will have 800 such aircraft operating across North America soon. Until then, it’s gearing up for the first step, with 75 regional airplanes.
The ATR 72-600 claims to be “the most popular in-production regional turboprop on the market” as well as “the most fuel efficient regional aircraft.” A joint venture created by Airbus and Leonardo, ATR is continuously improving its product range, but this recently-announced collaboration will bring to the forefront a different type of upgrade.
Connect Airlines wants to convert the ATR 72-600 to a hydrogen powertrain. It has agreed to purchase 75 aircraft, with an option for 25 additional ones, with Universal Hydrogen providing the conversion kit.
But Universal Hydrogen wasn’t selected just because of its affordable retrofit pack. It also claims to be able to deliver hydrogen to any airport without requiring special infrastructure upgrades. That is thanks to a modular capsule technology that can be used to deliver hydrogen anywhere along the aircraft’s route within the existing infrastructure. As a result, the operating costs of the retrofitted fleet are expected to be “equivalent or better” than those of the conventional ATR 72 aircraft right from the start.
Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen, believes that all new narrowbody aircraft should be hydrogen-powered and, until that’s possible, in-service regional airliners should be converted to hydrogen powertrains. This would be the way to drastically cut emissions without compromising the airplanes’ capacity.
The first modified ATR 72-600 is expected to be delivered to Connect Airlines in 2025. The initial 75 hydrogen-powered fleet will be just the first step, with numbers growing up to 800 in the distant future.
Connect Airlines wants to convert the ATR 72-600 to a hydrogen powertrain. It has agreed to purchase 75 aircraft, with an option for 25 additional ones, with Universal Hydrogen providing the conversion kit.
But Universal Hydrogen wasn’t selected just because of its affordable retrofit pack. It also claims to be able to deliver hydrogen to any airport without requiring special infrastructure upgrades. That is thanks to a modular capsule technology that can be used to deliver hydrogen anywhere along the aircraft’s route within the existing infrastructure. As a result, the operating costs of the retrofitted fleet are expected to be “equivalent or better” than those of the conventional ATR 72 aircraft right from the start.
Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen, believes that all new narrowbody aircraft should be hydrogen-powered and, until that’s possible, in-service regional airliners should be converted to hydrogen powertrains. This would be the way to drastically cut emissions without compromising the airplanes’ capacity.
The first modified ATR 72-600 is expected to be delivered to Connect Airlines in 2025. The initial 75 hydrogen-powered fleet will be just the first step, with numbers growing up to 800 in the distant future.
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