The US regional air mobility industry suffered a setback recently when Universal Hydrogen, a leading propulsion tech developer, ceased operations due to lack of funds. This has caused a delay in the shift towards low and zero-emission alternatives for short commercial flights. Universal Hydrogen was a key player in developing greener alternatives, thus its cessation marks a considerable pause in sustainable travel innovation.
Mark Cousin, Universal Hydrogen’s CEO and Chairman, announced the company’s shutdown after unsuccessful attempts to secure fresh investment. Lack of new funding led to halting operations and the dissolution of the company, thereby significantly impacting the sustainable travel sector.
Paul Eremenko, founding CEO of Universal Hydrogen and former CTO at Airbus had resigned from his post back in April. He, however, continues his association with the company as a paid advisor. Despite the shift in roles, Eremenko’s vast industry knowledge remains a great asset to the company. The ambitious goal of Universal Hydrogen in hydrogen aviation stays resolute through the corporate restructuring.
Universal Hydrogen was majorly engaged in developing hydrogen-fuel-cell propulsion modifications for commercial aircraft, along with plans for retrofitting existing aircraft with their innovative engines.
US air mobility’s pause in sustainable propulsion
They aspired to significantly reduce aviation emissions by replacing conventional fuel sources with hydrogen. Moreover, planned collaborations with notable manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing demonstrated the company’s ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutral aviation.
Universal Hydrogen made a remarkable stride in March 2023 when they successfully tested a flight powered partly by a hydrogen fuel cell powerplant. This trial involved replacing conventional engines with their innovative powertrain on a commercial aircraft. It marked significant progress towards their goal of commercializing hydrogen-powered flights by 2025. Their plan of retrofitting all engines with similar technology demonstrates the immense potential of hydrogen fuel in aviation.
But unfortunately, financial constraints following lack of requisite funding, have led to a halt in these advancements. This setback has slowed down operations, delayed product launch and affected overall project development. There are concerns that this pause may allow rivals to gain market share. Despite these challenges, the management remains optimistic about finding new funding avenues to revive the stalled initiatives soon.
