With the arrival of covid-19, the aviation industry has suffered a huge impact, but the truth is that this is much more than commercial aviation, and proof of this is that, in these months, far from suffering a complete standstill, the sector has continued to innovate and explore the possibilities of a reconversion towards energy transition and digitalization that more than a future is already a present.
Skydweller, the solar-powered, pilotless aircraft
With a wingspan of 72 meters, completely covered with solar panels and produced 80% in carbon fiber, the Skydweller weighs as little as a car and was the first aircraft, as early as 2016, to fly around the world without using fossil fuels. After having remained disassembled in a Swiss warehouse, its new owners want to turn it into a pseudo-satellite vigilant, able to fly without rest sending information uninterruptedly, and going from being a piloted aircraft to an autonomous aircraft. This could be used to fight natural disasters, emergencies, forest surveillance, control of drug trafficking routes, immigration, fishing, scientific research…
ZEROe: zero-emission, hydrogen-powered aircraft
Airbus is already embarking on one of its most ambitious missions: to launch three hydrogen-powered aircraft models, to be operational by 2035. They will be powered by the combustion of hydrogen thanks to modified gas engines, while using liquid hydrogen for combustion with oxygen. In addition, the hydrogen fuel cells create electrical power, which supplements the gas turbine, resulting in a highly efficient hybrid-electric propulsion system. There will be three models:
- Turbofan, with two hybrid hydrogen engines and liquid hydrogen storage in the rear pressure bulkhead, which will seat fewer than 100 passengers and could travel 1,900 kilometers.
- Turboprop: two hydrogen hybrid turboprop engines with hydrogen storage and distribution are located in the same place as in the previous aircraft. Its capacity will be less than 200 passengers and its range will be 3,800 kilometers.
- Blended-Wing Body (BWB): Again, it comes with two hydrogen hybrid turboprop engines, and similar capacity and range, but with hydrogen storage and distribution under the wings.
First electric passenger aircraft in 2026
The Norwegian airline Widerøe has announced that in 2026 it will operate the first passenger air route operated by a 100% electric aircraft. It will do so with the help of Rolls Royce for the engine and Tecam for the engineering.
Both companies have been working on the development of the P-Volt for some time. This aircraft has three electric propulsion engines that have already been tested and can reach 480 km/h with a combined power of 500 hp. For the moment, the aircraft will be able to carry a maximum of 9 passengers, but the achievement is not trivial, as it lays the first stone towards electrified commercial aviation. Rolls Royce is already working to improve its electric motors to make them capable of powering larger and heavier aircraft.
Drones: a booming business
In parallel to advances in conventional aircraft, the drone sector is growing at a dizzying pace. In the region of Galicia alone, the number of companies operating UAVs has grown by 69% in the last year. In Spain, the number of companies now exceeds 4,500, and it is expected that Spain will have 51,400 drones by 2035, generating a turnover of 1.2 billion euros.