Today Universal Hydrogen announced it has passed an important milestone in the company's journey to put in passenger service regional airplanes converted to fly on hydrogen in the next several years. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accepted Universal Hydrogen's application for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the conversion of ATR 72 regional airliners powered by Universal Hydrogen's patented liquid hydrogen modules and a fuel cell-electric propulsion system. Furthermore, the FAA has now issued the G-1 Issue Paper, an important document that is a key step in establishing the certification criteria, including tailoring of applicable airworthiness and environmental standards, required by the FAA to ultimately certify the Universal Hydrogen design for ATR 72 conversion to hydrogen power.

“For something as novel as hydrogen-powered airplanes, establishing the certification basis is a critically important milestone in the certification process,” said Carl Burleson, former Acting Deputy Administrator of the FAA and an advisor to Universal Hydrogen. “This is the culmination of nearly two years of effort between Universal Hydrogen and the FAA on this trailblazing project, which represents a key part of the solution set to help address the aviation industry's commitment to a zero-carbon future.”

Universal Hydrogen is working with the FAA to finalize the full set of certification requirements in the months ahead. The company, which flew a hydrogen-powered regional airplane—the world's largest—earlier this year, has embarked on an ambitious ground and flight test campaign to produce all the necessary data to demonstrate compliance with the airworthiness and safety standards for passenger aviation.

“I believe we have an important industry first here, and we appreciate our responsibility to ensure that the airworthiness certification criteria that are established set a positive precedent for the rest of the nascent hydrogen aviation industry,” said Mark Cousin, President and CTO of Universal Hydrogen.

“Well-deserved congratulations to Universal Hydrogen on their important and closely teamed work with the FAA in achieving these core milestones, advancing practical hydrogen aviation right into present-day processes,” noted Thomas d'Halluin, Managing Partner at Airbus Ventures, an investor in Universal Hydrogen.

“American Airlines congratulates Universal Hydrogen on this critical milestone in its journey to bring hydrogen aviation to market,” said Jill Blickstein, Vice President of Sustainability at American Airlines, also an investor in Universal Hydrogen.