For the first time in aviation history, Boeing has flown

a manned aircraft propelled by hydrogen fuel cells. The aircraft was officially unveiled by a team of US and European Boeing engineers at the Ocana airfield, in Spain. The test flights took place at the beginning of the year. During the flights, the pilot flew the 6.5-metre-long and 800-kilo plane for approximately 20 minutes at an altitude of about 1,000 metres. “This is a historic technical prowess”, declared John Tracy, head of technologies at Boeing. Le Figaro Economie comments that this achievement allows Boeing to score points against its rival Airbus in the race for ‘green aviation’. For now, however, it seems these energy sources can only be applied to small planes. Cited by The Times, Francisco Escarti, director of the Boeing research centre in Ocana, said the company would “continue to explore their potential as well as that of all durable sources of energy that boost environmental performance”, notably biofuel. Boeing considers the possible use of hydrogen on long-haul aircraft as a “secondary energy source”, at least for the next 20 years, Le Figaro Economie. Le Figaro Economie, The Times, Expansion