Cranfield Aerospace Solutions Ltd

Cranfield University will spearhead the research and development of the first major hydrogen technology hub to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen as a net zero aviation fuel.

Over the past few years, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) has been quietly pushing engineering boundaries in a quest to achieve zero-emissions flight and has now achieved a notable milestone with the successful integration design of its hydrogen fuel cell technology into the nacelle of an aircraft. This is an achievement that not only marks important engineering and technological progress but is also a significant step towards certification and commercialisation of the company’s zero-emissions technology.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has selected three companies to increase industry and regulatory readiness for the introduction of hydrogen fuel and new technologies.

An Orkney-based sustainable aviation project bolsters its partnership activity with the addition of Cranfield Aerospace (CAeS) which hopes to get certification in 2026 for its hydrogen drivetrain, ready for entry into passenger-carrying service in 2027.

Stratus 9 (S9), an innovator in private aviation and fractional ownership, today announced plans to acquire 10 (with options for up to 15) of Cranfield Aerospace Solutions’ (CAeS) hydrogen propulsion conversion kits for the B-N Islander aircraft. The deal, valued at over $20M, paves the way for the first zero-emissions fractional ownership programme in the United States.

Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline, and Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, pioneers in zero-emissions flight, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which signifies an enhanced level of collaboration, with the view to have the first operational hydrogen-electric Britten-Norman Islander flying in Kirkwall by 2027.

Reaction Engines, a global leader in cutting-edge thermal management solutions, and Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), renowned pioneers in hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems for aviation, today announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand their existing collaboration to explore additional aerospace applications for their zero-emission propulsion technology.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) and Dronamics have signed an MoU to further progress the application of the CAeS hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) propulsion system to the Dronamics Black Swan cargo drone aircraft. This agreement confirms the position of CAeS as the preferred supplier of hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) propulsion systems to Dronamics and includes an LOI to supply a substantial number of propulsion systems from 2026, bringing CAeS’s total pipeline to over 1300 drivetrains.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), innovators in hydrogen-electric fuel cell propulsion technology, today announced a three-party agreement with MONTE Aircraft Leasing (MONTE) and Australian air charter company Torres Strait Air to convert up to ten Britten-Norman Islander aircraft to hydrogen-electric power.

Project Fresson – the development of a hydrogen aircraft by converting an existing Britten-Norman Islander aircraft to that of gaseous hydrogen propulsion, is a project lead by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, and forms the foundations of the company’s plans to produce new aircraft designs of up to 100 seats, optimized around zero-emissions technology.