---
title: "Researchers Successfully Test Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Plane"
description: "An aviation company ZeroAvia successfully flight tested a hydrogen-powered passenger plane and has more ambitious tests planned in the future."
date: "2020-09-29"
modified: "2020-09-29"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/successfully-test-hydrogen-powered-passenger-plane"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
tags:
  - "aviation"
  - "hydrogen power"
  - "the digest"
  - "transportation"
---

# Researchers Successfully Test Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Plane

![An aviation company ZeroAvia successfully flight tested a hydrogen-powered passenger plane and has more ambitious tests planned in the future.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/successfully-test-hydrogen-powered-passenger-plane-1.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: ZeroAvia\</em\>*

## Maiden Flight

Last week, the aviation company ZeroAvia ran a successful flight test of its new hydrogen-powered passenger plane.

The Piper M-class aircraft — which can seat up to six, so it's on the smaller end of the passenger aircraft spectrum — took off, flew in a loop around England's Cranfield Airport and then safely landed, *[CNBC ](<https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/25/hydrogen-powered-passenger-plane-completes-maiden-flight.html>)*[reports](<https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/25/hydrogen-powered-passenger-plane-completes-maiden-flight.html>). While it will be years before the aviation industry might adopt hydrogen fuel cells as its primary source of energy, the test is an encouraging proof of concept.

## Sharing Gold

The first test flight for a passenger-carrying plane fueled by hydrogen happened back in 2016, when German engineers flew the [four-seater HY4 aircraft](<https://futurism.com/come-fly-the-cleaner-skies-a-hydrogen-powered-plane-just-took-to-the-skies>) over Stuttgart Airport.

But ZeroAvia still told *CNBC* that its test was a "world-first" since its aircraft is larger and more closely resembles a commercial plane.

## New Horizons

Hydrogen planes are attracting attention across the industry. Also last week, the aerospace company Airbus announced [three new designs](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/airbus-designs-hydrogen-powered-planes>) for hydrogen aircraft that it says could take flight by 2035.

If these new hydrogen planes really take off — sorry — it could make for a much cleaner future. As of 2019, air travel was responsible for [two percent](<https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/7/25/8881364/greta-thunberg-climate-change-flying-airline#:~:text=Around%20the%20world%2C%20aviation%20emits,total%20global%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions.&text=The%20International%20Civil%20Aviation%20Organization,2050%20compared%20to%202005%20levels.>) of global carbon emissions, and skimming those greenhouse gases of the top could help our fight to slow down climate change.

**READ MORE:** [Hydrogen-powered passenger plane completes maiden flight in ‘world first’](<https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/25/hydrogen-powered-passenger-plane-completes-maiden-flight.html>) \[*CNBC*\]

**More on aviation:** *[NASA Is Working on Electric Planes Powered by Cryogenic Hydrogen](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-electric-planes-hydrogen>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)