On 13 April, Stuttgart-based German aerospace company H2FLY set a new world record for the four-seater HY4, the first hydrogen-powered passenger plane to climb more than 2 km.

In addition, the two-hull HY4 made its first hydrogen-powered flight from one major airport to another, covering a distance of 124 km from Stuttgart to Friedrichshafen on 12 April.

The HY4 is a hybrid device running on low-temperature hydrogen fuel cells, developed by the DLR Institute for Engineering Thermodynamics in collaboration with Hydrogenics.

To reduce weight, hydrogen is stored under pressure in two carbon composite tanks, one in each hull. They are fed into the fuel cell, and lithium-ion batteries power the 80 kilowatt engine at peak times. The cruising speed of the aircraft is 145 km / h, and the projected range is up to 1500 km with minimum payload and optimum flight conditions.