The 40+ passenger Dash 8-300 testbed aircraft has had a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain installed on one its nacelles, which closely resembles Universal’s original conversion kit of ATR 72-600 regional airliners.

Read more: Universal Hydrogen secure launch customer for its hydrogen conversion kits for cargo aircraft

The FAA approval clears the way for the first flight of the Universal aircraft, which is planned to take place at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington, US, which the company says will make it the largest hydrogen fuel cell-powered airplane to take to the skies.

Universal also released video footage of successful first taxi tests of the aircraft, designed to evaluate ground handling qualities and the performance of the powertrain at low power settings. Watch below:

In December last year (2022), the company completed operational tests on its modular hydrogen delivery system at its engineering centre in Toulouse, France, offering a pathway to cut the costs for new airport infrastructure.

“We are simultaneously providing a pragmatic, near-term solution for hydrogen infrastructure and delivery, as well as for converting existing passenger aircraft to use this lightweight, safe, and true-zero-emissions fuel,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen.

“Today’s milestones are essential, important steps to putting the industry on a trajectory to meet Paris Agreement obligations. The only alternative is curtailing aviation traffic growth to curb emissions,” Eremenko added.

The landmark announcement comes just months after it was revealed that American Airlines had made an equity investment in Universal Hydrogen to support its ambitions of reaching Net Zero by 2050.

Read more: American Airlines makes equity investment in Universal Hydrogen