By 2027, Loganair Hopes to Fly the First Hydrogen Electric Islander

In order to launch the first hydrogen-powered BN Islander by 2027, Loganair and Canfield Aerospace Solutions have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Given that Loganair has always backed Project Fresson, the conversion of a BN Islander to hydrogen-electric power, it makes sense that the airline would eventually want to operate the aircraft out of its Kirkwall base.

The action supports Loganair's goal of becoming Net-Zero by 2040, which is ten years ahead of industry standards and among the most ambitious of any airline's goals.

Paul Hutton, the CEO of Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, said: “This Memorandum of Understanding marks a significant stride toward achieving zero-emission flight in the Orkney Islands and potentially enabling the first zero-emissions passenger air service, right here in the UK. Collaborating closely with Loganair, we aim to harness our combined experience and expertise to address the operational and infrastructure considerations, ultimately ensuring the successful deployment of the hydrogen-electric Britten-Norman Islander across Loganair’s lifeline routes within the islands.”

Loganair's routes across Scotland's Highlands and Islands make it a perfect place to launch hydrogen electric aircraft until the technology advances to larger ranges. Many of those routes are already served by the BN Islander.

Peter Simpson, the Executive Chairman of Loganair, added:  “As an airline, we are doing everything we can to manage and mitigate the environmental impact of flying. Our Greenskies environmental programme, which offsets carbon emissions and invests in future flight technologies, is unique within the industry and our partnership with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions builds on the commitments we have made as part of this. 

“The short-haul routes we operate in Orkney and the challenging weather conditions we face, make the ideal test bed for hydrogen-electric aircraft, and we are incredibly proud that we could be offering the world’s first commercial zero-emissions flights.” 

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