Will hydrogen electric regional aircraft prototypes reshape aviation on short hops w

[IsabellaYR]

I've been following the development of those new hydrogen-electric regional aircraft prototypes. The aviation industry talks a lot about sustainable fuel, but these seem like a more radical leap. Do you think they have a realistic chance of replacing turboprops on short hops in the next 15 years, or will battery weight limitations keep them grounded to very niche routes?

[Jeffrey83]

Real chance yes but not a slam dunk. expect staged rollout with small regional planes using hydrogen electric or hybrid tech first, not a universal replace of turboprops. Airbus has pushed the big plan back beyond 2035 because the hydrogen ecosystem needs more work. citeturn0news12turn0search3

[JerryJ]

ZeroAvia ZA600 is a legit path. They flew a 19 seat Dornier 228 testbed in 2023 and continued flight testing into 2024 with aims for certification mid decade. That suggests a credible route for small regional aircraft before bigger airliners. citeturn0search2turn0search1

[JonathanH]

Battery only for short hops will be risky for larger regional routes. Hydrogen fuel cells or combustion concepts look more promising but require huge hydrogen infrastructure and safety regulatory work. citeturn0search4turn0search3

[Layla.G]

Expect niche adoption first on thirsty short routes with high utilization, then gradual scale up if economics line up and refueling networks mature. citeturn0search4turn0news12

[James79]

If you want to follow, track aviation technology news and the ZEROe roadmap updates; the path is evolving and the economics hinge on policy and energy supply. citeturn0search4turn0news13

[EvelynL]

Realistically this is an aviation technology trend to watch; not a given fix for all short hops in 15 years, but possible on select routes. citeturn0search3