On an airstrip nestled in the foothills of the Alps, France recently got a glimpse into its aviation future. The nation is making a big bet that it can lead a sustainability revolution for an industry at the heart of its national identity – and economy.
A modest, but critical step toward realizing that ambition was taken when Beyond Aero conducted the nation's first manned fully hydrogen-electric flights. That included 10 take-offs and 2 flights of an aircraft that had been retrofitted with an electric system powered by a combination of lithium and hydrogen batteries.
The small aircraft was a proof-of-concept, a demonstration that the hybrid system could power a private jet designed for business customers and clear early regulatory hurdles. Now Beyond Aero is preparing for the next step: Building an entire electric plane.
"This is a really good moment for us as founders," said Eloa Guillotin, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Aero. "I truly believe in us as a company. It's a big milestone. But for the industry, it's just the beginning."
The horizon for realizing such a dream remains a long one. But as France's industry grapples with its role in the growing impact of climate change, it needs such breakthroughs to succeed on a large scale to avoid the worst-case scenario: Pressure to curtail the sector.
"There are two ways of looking at things," President Macron said in a speech last summer at the Safran Aircraft Engines factory. "We could stop everything. Not a good idea! ... We have a chance and an opportunity in France... We can be a leader in decarbonization and we can succeed in substantially reducing emissions...The French must be the champions of the [low-emissions] aircraft."
Under The Hood
Beyond Aero is not counting on radical technical breakthroughs to develop its aircraft. Founded in 2020, the company uses exisiting technology to create a hybrid system of lithium- and hydrogen-based batteries to power a fully electric plane.
