Loganair plans to start the world’s first emissions free flights on the Scottish islands lifeline routes by 2027.
An agreement has been reached with zero-emissions flights pioneer Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to bring the first operational hydrogen-electric Britten-Norman Islander flying from Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands.
The ultimate objective is to ensure the commercial rollout of the hydrogen-powered Islander into operational service within the Orkney region, according to the regional airline.
Loganair executive chairman Peter Simpson said: “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.”
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions chief executive Paul Hutton said: “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.”