Stralis Aircraft has successfully completed a hydrogen-electric powered propellor spin on a ground-demonstrator aircraft, fondly known as “Clyde”, at Brisbane Airport.

The test was performed using fuel cells and gaseous hydrogen, with the only emission from the system being water vapour. This is a key milestone on the path to getting “Bonnie”, the sister experimental flight-demonstrator Bonanza A36 aircraft, into Queensland skies in 2025.

The event was the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, marking the first hydrogen-electric propeller spin test on a registered aircraft at an international airport.

Bob Criner, CEO and Co-founder of Stralis Aircraft says, “This is a huge win for Stralis. We have safely trialled the introduction of hydrogen in a controlled environment at Brisbane Airport for use in aircraft propulsion, which required strong collaboration and upskilling of everyone involved. This lays the foundation and builds momentum as we work towards Australia’s first hydrogen-electric flight next year.”

This progress has been achieved with grant support from the Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships Program – an Australian Government initiative.

Alan Milne, CEO of Skytrans Airlines, the launch customer for Stralis Aircraft adds, “Skytrans would like to congratulate Stralis Aircraft on this momentous occasion. This is a very strong message to the industry that Stralis is on the right track and progressing at a great rate of knots towards emission-free aviation. Skytrans is proud to support Stralis and looks forward to a long commercial relationship.”

This successful hydrogen spin is also groundbreaking for Brisbane Airport, a key partner of the project. This was the first test of hydrogen as a propulsion method at Brisbane Airport and proved up the safety and operational factors necessary for hydrogen powered flight.

Jessica King, Head of Sustainability at Brisbane Airport says, “Brisbane Airport is proud to support Stralis Aircraft and be a key partner in their first H2 spin, it is an amazing milestone. Our biggest decarbonisation challenge is emissions from JetA1, and this technology is genuinely emissions free. We are excited to see how hydrogen electric technology can positively impact regional flights and regional airports.”

The propulsion system used for this test was designed and built by the Stralis team as an initial prototype that will continue to be tested and upgraded to a flight-worthy system. Another key achievement has been the hydrogen safety processes and compliance approvals developed and met during testing. It has been a true team effort, working closely with a wide range of partners, particularly Brisbane Airport, Aviation Australia, and the broader Hydrogen Flight Alliance partnership.

Transport is vital for promoting connectivity, trade, economic growth and employment, yet it is also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. For both international and domestic flights, Australia has one of the highest per capita CO₂-e emissions due to the geographic isolation (meaning Australians fly longer on average) and high propensity to travel.

Resolving this trade-off is essential to achieving sustainable transport. Hydrogen produced by renewables is a fundamentally clean, carbon-free, lightweight, and economical energy solution. Based on practical experience with alternatives, Stralis concludes that hydrogen-electric propulsion is the most commercially viable and truly sustainable technology that will deliver cleaner, cheaper and quieter aircraft.

Stralis Aircraft’s hydrogen-electric propulsion system doesn’t just save on emissions but is also a low-cost option, with anticipated overall operating cost savings of 50% compared to JetA, saved mainly on engine maintenance and fuel.

As Glenn Ryan, CEO of Aviation Australia, points out: "Congratulations to Stralis on this incredible achievement with their first hydrogen-powered spin at Brisbane International Airport. We are thrilled to see this groundbreaking innovation happening right here alongside Aviation Australia. This milestone is not only a step forward for aviation but a testament to the possibilities of sustainable technology. We’re proud to support Stralis and prepare our future workforce for a sustainable and innovative aviation industry."

Paul Hodgson, Director of Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy and Executive Director Regional Futures – Energy Transitions at CQUniversity Australia, says: “Congratulations to Stralis Aircraft on an important and exciting milestone. CQUniversity is proud to be working with the Stralis team as a foundation member of the Hydrogen Flight Alliance and is building our capability to help deliver on the HFA mission of hydrogen-electric flight by 2026”.

Stralis Aircraft is located in Brisbane, based at Aviation Australia at Brisbane Airport.

The Hydrogen Flight Alliance comprises sixteen organisations working to support the advancement of hydrogen electric flight and the green hydrogen ecosystem in Australia.

The Federal Government Aviation White Paper sets out a clear commitment to maximise aviation’s contribution to net zero emissions and to enable and support the development of alternative low-emissions aviation technologies.

Australia's transport sector is the third largest source of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, amounting to 21% of national emissions in 2023. Since 2005, transport sector greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 19% and are projected to be Australia's largest by 2030.