Quantcast

Cranfield Aerospace nears completion of Series B funding round

Airline Stocks Led The Travel Industry's Record 2024 Rally. Here's What's Next.
It’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel
Qatar Airways cleans up at the World Travel Awards
All of the strikes at European airports this winter – find out if you are affected
Meet the CEO trying to turn around Air India, the 92-year-old airline with a pile of problems
Qantas engineers walk off job on one of the busiest travel days of the year
South Korea to safeguard competition after Korean Air, Asiana merger
China Southern returns to Adelaide
Global Airline Industry Revenues Forecast To Top $1 Trillion For First Time In 2025
EasyJet to launch six new routes from the UK next year with £24 flights
Here's Why Analysts Say It's a Good Time to Buy Airline Stocks
A No-Frills Airline Is Getting Into the Premium Game
TAKING OFF: Major airline introduces new inflight service rules with less time to order your drinks
2 Delta flight attendants fail breathalyzer test before flight to JFK
EasyJet reveals plans for new flights from regional UK airport next summer
Airlines not switching quickly enough to green jet fuel, study says
Alaska Airlines tech issue briefly grounds planes in Seattle, disrupts bookings on Cyber Monday
US Senate panel criticizes rising airline seat fees, will call execs to testify
Spirit’s Demise Is a Lesson in ‘Airline-o-nomics’
Inside BA’s new first-class suites: £800 an hour for most private seat
Focus: US airline flight crews confident and angry as unions seek richer contracts
Hawaiian Airlines Eliminates Widebody Route Amid Alaska Airlines Merger
US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems?
Delta CEO says the Trump administration will reverse government ‘overreach’ seen under Biden
Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy: How will it affect your travel plans?
British Airways yet to identify cause of latest IT meltdown
Delta Airlines Will Start Serving Shake Shack Cheeseburgers Next Month
United Sees Nearly 30% Surge in Travel to European Christmas Markets
Budget airline Israir to launch flights between Israel and NY, ending wartime monopoly by flagship carrier El Al
Asia's airlines blame supply chain woes for disrupted operations
Cranfield Aerospace nears completion of Series B funding round
Policy
Webp 898vmm0ovyiogs3i4ise06qknsub
Aviation International News | Aviation International News

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) is nearing the completion of the first stage of its Series B funding round, expected by the end of July. This development will help advance their plans to introduce a hydrogen-powered regional airliner to the market. Despite delays in securing funds, CAeS remains committed to launching a converted nine-passenger Britten-Norman Islander for commercial service by 2027.

The UK-based start-up faced setbacks due to funding delays, which postponed necessary hardware purchases for building its technology demonstrator. The company aims to conduct flight tests with this demonstrator by July 2025 after completing ground tests. The Series B round targets raising £30 million ($38 million).

CAeS plans to replace Islanders’ piston and turboprop engines with its hydrogen fuel cell system integrated into nacelles on the wing. Additionally, they are exploring other applications such as uncrewed cargo aircraft and replacing auxiliary power units (APUs) on existing airliners.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

Paul Hutton, CAeS chief executive, stated: “We now have a very sophisticated hydrogen fuel cell system that we believe delivers the highest available energy density, which means we can be sure of producing 100% or more of the energy of the engines it is replacing, not just 40 to 50% as is the case with other systems.”

During fundraising efforts, CAeS refined packaging for propulsion components while addressing thermal management challenges. Hutton described their progress: “What we’ve got now is a miracle of packing... So we’ve got full power at the right weight, fully packaged and with a way to get rid of the heat. No one else has done that.”

Potential customers for these hydrogen-powered Islanders include Loganair from the UK, Monte Aircraft Leasing, Germany's Evia Aero start-up, and U.S.-based Stratus 9 fractional aircraft provider. Collaborating with Britten-Norman and other suppliers allows CAeS to source in-service aircraft for conversion.

In October 2023, Dronamics agreed to acquire 1,290 CAeS propulsion systems for integration into its Black Swan uncrewed cargo aircraft under development. At Farnborough International Airshow, CAeS presented a three-dimensional model of this propulsion system.

Simultaneously, discussions continue with airlines interested in replacing APUs responsible for significant carbon dioxide emissions during ground operations at airports. Hydrogen propulsion units ranging from 125-500 kilowatts could meet current airliner APU needs within existing space constraints.

Hutton emphasized CAeS’s advantage stemming from decades-long experience providing complex aircraft modifications approved by major industry players like Airbus and Boeing: "Initially... [we] will likely seek early adopters... by marketing our own supplemental type certificate."

The prolonged fundraising period allowed time for reconsidering business models amidst challenging capital markets affecting aviation start-ups globally—specifically regarding gaseous versus liquid hydrogen usage options previously considered viable alternatives despite sourcing/storage complexities associated therewith; however recent developments suggest otherwise per Hutton's remarks: "If anything...[these] challenges have got worse because increased doubts over availability..."

CAeS collaborates closely alongside Cranfield University's Hydrogen Incubator Hub—an initiative receiving £69 million public-private finance backing entities including Airbus/Marshall/GKN plus UK government support via Research Partnership Investment Fund contributions toward advancing sustainable aviation technologies worldwide today!

Organizations Included in this History
More News

Long Beach Airport has announced a new daily nonstop service to Baltimore Washington International (BWI) through Southwest Airlines.

Jun 7, 2025

Lidl workers in Belgium initiated a strike and blockades on June 5, following similar actions in France and Italy.

Jun 6, 2025

Delta Air Lines is expanding its flight offerings for the 2025 pro football season, introducing new routes and increasing capacity to accommodate fans traveling to major games.

Jun 6, 2025

National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen addressed the U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee, emphasizing the urgent need to reform the nation's air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure.

Jun 6, 2025

Last month, over 130 volunteers from Delta Air Lines and several partner organizations collaborated to construct a new playground in College Park, Georgia.

Jun 6, 2025

Walking together on Omaha Beach, 19-year-old college student Caleb Walker and 101-year-old WWII veteran Jack Myers reflected on the sacrifices made during the D-Day invasion.

Jun 6, 2025