Toulouse, France

Hydrogen aviation OEM Beyond Aero reaches key aircraft design milestone

Immediate release

Beyond Aero has completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of its hydrogen-electric business jet and advanced its certification pathway under CS-25 and Part 25 — the transport-category standards of EASA and the FAA, marking a key milestone as hydrogen aviation moves toward industrial execution.

The milestone concludes the aircraft’s preliminary design phase, confirming the integration of hydrogen storage, electric propulsion, thermal management, fuel cell system and safety systems into a certifiable aircraft architecture. The program now progresses on schedule toward detailed design, engineering, and the definition of the validation plan.

Architecture defined for hydrogen propulsion

The aircraft uses a twin-propfan configuration powered by fuel-cell electric propulsion. It will operate on gaseous hydrogen stored at 700 bar in externally mounted tanks integrated above the wing structure.

This configuration enables natural ventilation and compatibility with existing and emerging airport refuelling infrastructure, while avoiding the added complexity of cryogenic liquid storage for early entry into service.

A comprehensive wind tunnel test campaign validated the aerodynamic assumptions and confirmed the correlation between computational models and physical testing during the preliminary design phase.

The Preliminary Design Review confirms that the aircraft configuration and its major systems — propulsion, hydrogen storage, aerodynamics and avionics — have reached the level of maturity required to support a certifiable architecture. With this milestone completed, the program moves on schedule into detailed design and verification of the aircraft’s integrated systems.

Luiz Oliveira, Chief Engineer at Beyond Aero

The completion of the Preliminary Design Review demonstrates that a certifiable hydrogen-powered business aircraft is achievable. Our objective is to develop a new business aircraft tailored to the constraints of hydrogen-electric propulsion, while meeting the performance, safety, and operational standards expected in business aviation.

Eloa Guillotin, Chief Executive Officer of Beyond Aero

Certification under transport-category standards

Beyond Aero is developing its aircraft under the CS-25 / Part 25 and Certification Review Items (CRI's) for hydrogen propulsion certification framework — the standard applied to commercial transport aircraft — reflecting a deliberate decision to prioritise safety and certification robustness in the introduction of hydrogen propulsion.

This certification methodology has structured the program from its inception. The company’s Chief Engineer, formerly of Embraer, and Head of Certification, previously with Airbus, embedded transport-category safety processes into the aircraft architecture and verification planning. For hydrogen propulsion, this approach provides a structured safety case and early alignment with regulators — reducing the risk of late-stage regulatory misalignment.

Beyond Aero is actively executing a pre-application contract with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to formalise its certification pathway. The DOA application submitted in April 2024 is progressing as planned: Phase 1 is complete, and Phase 2 is underway. With the Design Organisation Handbook, Safety Manual, and 34+ compliance procedures fully implemented, the company demonstrates its commitment to world-class safety, regulatory excellence, and scalable growth under EASA’s trusted oversight.

Technical validation and program maturity

The aircraft architecture is supported by progressive hardware validation across multiple test campaigns:

85 kW sub-scale prototype — flight tests campaign completed
800 kW-class propulsion data validated through a full-scale flight testing campaign following the acquisition of Universal Hydrogen assets
1,200 kW total testing capacity in ground laboratories

The program is supported by well-established industrial partners such as EKPO, FEV, AVL, Aeronnova, TAT Technologies, Airbus Protect, Bureau Veritas, thereby leveraging sound expertise and reinforcing supply-chain maturity. Beyond Aero employs more than 80 aerospace engineers dedicated to the program.

Infrastructure integration

Beyond Aero is developing the aircraft alongside hydrogen ground infrastructure. The company has signed more than 10 memoranda of understanding with airport operators and over 16 with hydrogen production and distribution partners to support planning for gaseous hydrogen supply.

The aircraft is designed to operate using both 700-bar hydrogen infrastructure and 350-bar mobile refuelling systems, enabling operational deployment from existing airports.

About Beyond Aero

Beyond Aero is building the first electric business aircraft powered by hydrogen propulsion, enabling six passengers to fly up to 800 NM (1,500 km), a range unattainable with battery-electric aircraft. Founded in December 2020, the company is redesigning the architecture of an aircraft around hydrogen-electric propulsion, focusing on fuel cell technology, gaseous hydrogen tank integration, and advanced cooling systems. With offices in Toulouse, Paris, and Los Angeles, the company boasts a team of over 80 highly qualified engineers from leading aerospace companies.

Beyond Aero has secured over $50 million in funding, backed by investors such as Giant Ventures, Bpifrance, and prior supporters like Initialized Capital, Female Founders Fund, and 7 Percent Ventures. Beyond Aero also completed Y Combinator in 2022. The company has secured $1.1bn in Letters of Intent (LOIs), completed France’s first manned, fully hydrogen-electric flight, and acquired Universal Hydrogen Co.'s assets, IP, and flight data. Beyond Aero is a member of the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition and the Alliance for Zero Emission Aviation, underscoring its commitment to electrifying aviation with hydrogen propulsion.

Anaïs Cateni-Caudéran

Head of Marketing & Communication at Beyond Aero

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