How this founder will bring a hydrogen plane to market – in just six years

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16 dec. 2024
15:38
Between resource-heavy R&D phases and lengthy certification processes, the aviation industry isn't exactly known for bringing new products to market quickly. But Toulouse-based Beyond Aero wants to offer a whole new class of private jet in five years.

In early 2024, Toulouse-based startup Beyond Aero achieved a milestone: France’s first manned hydrogen flight. Flown by pilot Paul Prudent, the 85kW ‘Blériot’ prototype, powered by a hydrogen-electric powertrain, achieved two full flights, reaching 2,300 feet above sea level.

Sitting in Beyond Aero’s Los Angeles office, CEO and co-founder Eloa Guillotin is looking ahead to future test flights. The 28-year old aerospace engineer founded the company in 2020 along with Valentin Chomel and Hugo Tarlé. In September, they hired Luiz Oliveira, a forty-year veteran of aerospace engineering, as its chief engineer. “He's just exceptional,” Guillotin tells Impact Loop. With Oliveira onboard, and with around €42m in funding, the company is working to an ambitious timeline: a fully hydrogen-electric commercial aircraft, which they're calling ...

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