Hydrogen-powered private jets can cut emissions — if they can get off the ground

From Taylor Swift and Kylie Jenner to Elon Musk, celebrities have come under scrutiny for using private jets, which are huge emitters. Aviation is responsible for more than 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, and private jets are the most carbon-intensive form of air travel. A 2021 report found that some private jets emit two tons of CO2 per hour — at least five times more pollution per passenger than commercial flights. That’s 50 times worse than trains. While some private jetsetters have turned to carbon offsets as a means to neutralize their emissions, a handful of startups are promising the world’s 23,000-plus jet owners another option: hydrogen-powered aircraft. The gas can replace fossil fuels and power planes without emitting carbon dioxide. While the technology could be an ideal solution, it also has yet to be proven, raising questions of whether flying privately using hydrogen is a climate hack for the ultra-wealthy or a risky strategy for cleaner aviation.For now, flying privately on a hydrogen-powered jet is more of an idea under development than a reality for any traveler. But Beyond Aero, a French startup founded by three aerospace engineers, aims to commercially launch a six-seat jet by 2030 and has secured letters of intent from prospective individual buyers for 19 hydrogen jets, as well as from a number of airlines.“The high-net-worth individuals were looking to reduce their emissions,” says Eloa Guillotin, Beyond’s co-founder CEO. “They want to be one of the first to fly a [hydrogen] electric aircraft.”<br/>