US startup regional operator Connect Airlines has announced plans to introduce up to 100 hydrogen-powered ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft from 2025, once regulatory approval is secured for a new modular fuelling system developed by Universal Hydrogen. The airline, which is aiming to become the world’s first zero-emission carrier, expects to start services this year between the downtown Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto, Canada, and the US hubs of Chicago O’Hare and Philadelphia, initially using a fleet of conventionally-powered Q400 turboprop aircraft, before transitioning to green hydrogen-powered ATRs. Connect, a brand of Boston-based Waltzing Matilda Aviation, sees a resurgence in demand for turboprop aircraft in the US as major operators withdraw uneconomic regional jets from loss-making secondary markets. Through a partnership which includes modest investment by each company in the other, Universal will develop technology through which canisters of hydrogen fuel are loaded directly onto aircraft, requiring no fixed infrastructure at airports, and Connect will introduce the concept into commercial service, reports Tony Harrington. 

Connect Airlines CEO John Thomas reported the company was now in the final stages of securing US regulatory approvals for its initial Canada-US flights, and would start with two Q400s formerly operated by UK airline FlyBe, adding up to five more of the type by the end of 2022, and flying up to 30 by the end of 2023. He said these aircraft, which produced 40% lower emissions than comparable-sized regional jets on short haul routes, would be used to build network scale until Universal’s hydrogen propulsion systems were certificated, enabling the carrier to transition to retrofitted ATR 72 aircraft, as well as the Q400s.

In a strong and early vote of confidence in the Universal Hydrogen system, Connect has announced firm orders to convert 75 ATRs and purchase rights for another 25 ATR conversion packages, which involve not only the installation of new hydrogen fuel systems but also reconfiguration of aircraft cabins and structures to provide space at the rear of the fuselage for hydrogen canisters, relocation of the passenger entry door and the installation of a large access door for loading the fuel capsules. While specific aircraft have not yet been identified for conversion and will not be acquired until the Universal kits are certificated for use, the airline has been assured by aircraft lessors that there will be abundant used ATR 72s available for conversion by 2025.

“We are building Connect Airlines from the ground up as a smarter, more sustainable travel option for North American travellers,” said Thomas, a former CEO of Virgin Australia Airlines, head of the aviation practice of global consultancy LEK, and current board member of Icelandair and Canadian corporate aviation group SkyService. “We have committed to being the world’s first true zero-emission airline and the only way to accomplish this in the near term is with hydrogen. We see the partnership with Universal Hydrogen as the fastest path to zero-emission operation because they offer both an affordable retrofit solution for the existing airplane fleet as well as a pragmatic approach to delivering hydrogen to any airport in our route network.”

Prior to the pandemic, said Thomas, around 165 million passenger journeys were undertaken each year on US air routes of less than 400 nautical miles (740 kilometres), emitting some 17 billion pounds (7.7m tonnes) of CO2. “If, over a period of time, all of those passengers were flying on zero emission aircraft, they would eliminate those emissions, or around 10% of the emissions total of the US aviation industry,” he said, adding that liquid hydrogen had higher density than conventional jet fuel, was more efficient and was suitable as a power source for regional aircraft, although not yet for larger narrowbody and widebody jets.

Connect has estimated that within five years, approximately 600 regional passenger jets operating in the US will be due for retirement, creating significant new opportunities for replacement with sustainably-powered turboprop aircraft, and potentially providing Connect with as much as 15-20% of that market as it expands its network across the US, in partnership with larger legacy carriers.

Paul Eremenko, the co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen, said: “This order places Connect firmly in the vanguard of the march to get aviation on a path to meeting Paris Agreement emissions targets. This will very soon need to turn into a sprint if the industry has any hope of decarbonising in time without having to curtail the growth in passenger volumes. We will need to convert most of the regional fleet in the 2020s and ensure that the new narrowbody aircraft built in the 2030s are hydrogen-powered. There is no other way to get there.”  

Image: ATR 72-600 in Connect Airlines livery

New US-based short-haul carrier Connect Airlines has announced plans to become “America’s first zero-emission airline”, signing a letter of intent to retrofit up to 24 turboprop aircraft with hydrogen propulsion systems from California’s Universal Hydrogen. The airline has committed to 12 conversion kits for Dash 8-300 aircraft, has purchase options for another 12 kits for other aircraft types and also signed a long-term agreement to procure green hydrogen from Universal, reports Tony Harrington. Subject to final regulatory approvals to operate flag, domestic scheduled and domestic unscheduled services, Connect Airlines will commence operations by spring 2022, initially with two conventionally-powered De Havilland Canada Q400 aircraft, linking the downtown Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto, Canada, with the major US hubs of Philadelphia International and Chicago O’Hare, and has plans for significant expansion to other major US destinations. It intends to introduce its first “true zero emission” aircraft into service in North America from 2025, when Universal’s conversion kits come to market.

Connect Airlines is a division of Waltzing Matilda Aviation, a Boston-based jet charter company, and a recent investor in Universal Hydrogen, which is developing a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain and modular capsule technology to enable containerised transfer of sustainably-produced hydrogen from its point of production to airports, for direct loading onto the aircraft it will power. The system is designed to use existing transport networks and airport service equipment, eliminating the need to construct or change fixed infrastructure. Universal initially will convert a Q300 aircraft for use as a testbed for its conversion kits, but plans to add other aircraft including ATR turboprops, before eventually expanding to conversions of larger planes, including current generation narrowbody jets. 

The partnership between Connect and Universal signals significant growth by the start-up airline, which has foreshadowed a turboprop-led recovery of regional aviation in the United States. In addition to its first two leased Q400 aircraft – previously operated by UK low-cost carrier flybe – Connect intends to introduce three more of the type in 2022. The airline has adopted the ‘GreenJet’ brand for its Q400s, to reflect 35% lower emissions than comparable-size regional jets, and has flagged plans to serve a much wider network in the US. Firm orders for 12 hydrogen-propulsion conversion kits for Dash 8-300 aircraft and purchase options for 12 more conversion kits will enable the airline to establish scale, then upgrade to a larger airframe as its operations grow.

Connect Airlines CEO John Thomas, who has led Waltzing Matilda Aviation since 2008, is also a former Group Executive of Virgin Australia and Global Head of Aviation Practice for L.E.K. Consulting, and a current member of the Board of Directors of Icelandair Group, which is also exploring the conversion of its five De Havilland Dash 8-series aircraft to the Universal Hydrogen system. The airline uses a mix of Dash 8-200 and Dash 8-400 aircraft to operate within Iceland and to nearby Greenland.

Prior to Waltzing Matilda’s participation in a recent $62 million capital raising by Universal Hydrogen, Thomas foreshadowed a return to favour of turboprops in the US, following the pandemic-driven downturn in regional air services, and said Connect Airlines was committed to achieving zero-emission operations.

“The Q400 provides the most reliable and certain path to zero emissions with the work currently being undertaken by Universal Hydrogen to change the power system on the Dash 8 series of aircraft,” he said. “Given the significant environmental benefits of turboprops over regional jets, we believe there is going to be a real resurgence in the use of turbo in the US domestic market, and that’s really what our strategy is. Part of our core business model is a 60% reduction in carbon emissions today and a total elimination in five years’ time, which we think is a real game changer for the industry, that frankly has struggled to come up with a credible and meaningful environmental response.”

Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen, described as “monumentally important” the decision of Connect Airlines to commit to “true zero emissions in the relatively short term.”

Thomas added: “Connect Airlines flies smarter. That’s why we’re excited to partner with Universal Hydrogen to pursue our goal of being the first zero-emission airline in the United States. In addition to the letter of intent, we were pleased to participate in Universal Hydrogen’s recent $62 million financing round.”

Rival hydrogen propulsion provider ZeroAvia recently partnered with Alaska Air Group in the development of a hydrogen-electric powertrain, using a Q400 formerly operated by Alaska’s regional subsidiary Horizon Air. Alaska also secured options for up to 50 ZeroAvia conversion kits, to be used to convert the airline’s regional fleet, beginning with Q400s.   

Image: Rendering of a hydrogen-converted Dash-8 being loaded with Universal Hydrogen capsules