Hydrogen-powered business aviation prepares for its arrival on the French Riviera

Beyond Aero and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur have announced a partnership to prepare the operational conditions needed to welcome the first hydrogen-electric business aircraft at the Nice Côte d’Azur, Cannes Mandelieu, and Golfe de Saint-Tropez airports. This announcement marks a new milestone in a collaboration launched nearly three years ago. As Europe’s second-largest airport operator for business aviation, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur is working with Beyond Aero to define a phased strategy for deploying hydrogen infrastructure, designed to accommodate the anticipated ramp-up in operations starting in the early 2030s.

Beyond Aero is developing "One," a six-to-eight-seat business aircraft powered by an electric propulsion system driven by hydrogen fuel cells. It is slated to enter service in the early 2030s.

Preparing aircraft and infrastructure in tandem

Developing this new generation of aircraft requires simultaneous preparation of airport infrastructure. However, the initial requirements for business aviation will remain limited compared to those of commercial aviation. This allows for the planning of targeted, scalable facilities that are sized to match actual demand.

The work undertaken by Beyond Aero and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur covers scenarios for hydrogen sourcing, storage, distribution, and refueling, as well as their technical, operational, regulatory, and economic integration within the airport sites.

Key objectives include defining the necessary capacities, identifying the most suitable locations, establishing the operational concept for refueling, and estimating the scale of investment associated with various development scenarios. "Infrastructure preparation must keep pace with aircraft development. Working with Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, we are basing our plans on concrete scenarios tailored to business aircraft volumes and utilizing currently available technologies. This phased approach is essential to ensure safe, realistic operations from the moment the first aircraft enter service," says Eloa Guillotin, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Aero.

Gaseous hydrogen: a pragmatic first step

The currently preferred scenario relies on the use of compressed gaseous hydrogen. This solution aligns with the architecture developed by Beyond Aero and leverages technologies that are already available and ready for industrial-scale production. Hydrogen could be produced off-site—near the airports—and then transported via tube trailers to a distribution station located at the airport. Such local production could also supply other regional needs, helping to pool requirements and foster the emergence of a local hydrogen ecosystem.

Two refueling solutions are being studied:

• a fixed, remote fueling point installed near a parking area dedicated to hydrogen aircraft;
• a mobile vehicle to transfer hydrogen between the distribution station and the aircraft.

These setups would help limit initial investment costs while allowing capacity to be scaled gradually in line with the growing number of aircraft and operational frequency.

"Our role is to anticipate the needs of future operators while ensuring the safety, performance, and cost-efficiency of our infrastructure. This partnership enables us to translate our environmental ambitions into concrete, phased operational solutions," states Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur.

Cannes Mandelieu: the first site under study

While the work covers all three of the group's airports, Cannes Mandelieu currently appears to be the most suitable site for initial implementation. As a major business aviation hub on the French Riviera and a prime gateway to Monaco, the airport’s operations are representative of the future use cases for "One." Its layout also allows for the study of integrating hydrogen infrastructure into a high-activity facility.

This initial study aims to assess the practical conditions for integrating refueling operations, while taking into account requirements regarding safety, operational performance, and economic viability. It will also evaluate the expected benefits of introducing hydrogen-electric aircraft in terms of reducing noise and local emissions. A phased strategy, adapted to growth...