Some of the biggest breakthroughs in aviation, such as the jet engine, are directly connected with the global crises of the 20th century. So, with the advent of the climate crisis, will aviation leap fundamentally again, into a fully sustainable industry?
Two disruptive zero-emission technologies are competing for the future of flight: electric flight and hydrogen. Battery-powered electric aircraft are flying high in the hype race, with massive investment flowing into air taxi startups like Lilium, Joby and Ampaire. But can this new technology really deliver? Other players have started to put their chips on "green" hydrogen — a propulsion method that clearly wins on the weight side, but still lacks infrastructure.
The multi-billion dollar race is on. But who will come in first?