BNE company secures funding for zero-emission flight

Brisbane Airport congratulates the Stralis Aircraft team for receiving Australian Government funding to push ahead with the first piloted hydrogen-electric flight in the Southern Hemisphere. 

The Brisbane Airport-based crew is converting a single-engine Bonanza into a hydrogen-electric aircraft to demonstrate the benefits of zero-emission flight technology for regional transport, with a test flight planned for 2025. 

The small aircraft is a test platform, paving the way for the retrofit of a 15-seat Beech 1900D aircraft intended for the first passenger flights between Brisbane Airport and Gladstone Airport, operated by launch customer Skytrans.   

“We are proud to be contributing to aviation innovation in Australia from our base at Brisbane Airport in Queensland. This support indicates the Australian Federal Government's belief in a #FutureMadeInAustralia across clean-tech, clean energy, aerospace and aircraft manufacturing”, said Stralis co-founder and CEO, Bob Criner. 

The funding was secured under the Australian Government’s Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships program, with the recipients announced by Assistant Minister for Regional Development & Education, Senator Anthony Chisholm. 

Raechel Paris, Executive General Manager of Governance and Sustainability at Brisbane Airport, welcomed today’s news. 

“We congratulate the Australian Government on throwing its support behind this exciting company, based right here at Brisbane Airport. Stralis is aiming to deliver cleaner, cheaper, quieter aircraft, helping to decarbonise aviation. Brisbane Airport is proud to provide its support to Stralis as a founding member of the Hydrogen Flight Alliance.” 

Stralis is designing and building 15 and 50-seat hydrogen-electric aircraft to service commercial routes up to a 3000km range and currently has partner commitments from 10 airlines across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the USA, and Europe, with North Queensland based Skytrans the first. 

“Skytrans is thrilled at the announcement of Federal Government support for Stralis Aircraft in its quest to develop hydrogen-electric propulsion technology for aviation. Skytrans looks forward to partnering with Stralis to deliver the first emission-free commercial flight in Australia,” according to Alan Milne, Skytrans Group CEO. 

Other Hydrogen Flight Alliance partners to receive funding include AMSL Aero and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), with 5 of the 12 grant recipients in Queensland, underscoring the importance of aviation in a vast and decentralised state.