Bittersweet victory: Stralis to close despite hydrogen test success

“Reaching this milestone is a proud moment for all of us. It reflects the dedication of our hardworking team and the trust our investors, partners and supporters placed in us over the last few years,” said Stralis co-founder and CEO Bob Criner.

“I am proud of what we built – the technology, the company, the community. I want to thank everyone who has been part of the journey.”

The taxi test – the first at an international airport in the Southern Hemisphere – followed testing in Japan and a US deal, as well as tests in New Zealand. Raechel Paris, EGM of strategy, planning and sustainability at Brisbane Airport, hailed it as a “groundbreaking Australian trial”.

“The project provided valuable insights into how hydrogen powered aircraft could operate within an airport environment and will help inform the future development of lower-emissions aviation technologies, supporting Brisbane Airport’s ongoing exploration of sustainable aviation solutions,” she said.

Despite the success, Stralis is shutting its doors, saying though the proof of concept did work, the company “could not close the gap between proof and commercial readiness quickly enough to sustain the business”.

“For most airlines today, the commercial case for hydrogen does not yet outweigh the additional costs, operational changes, and infrastructure investment it requires. Without the industry pull, raising the capital to see it through proved beyond Stralis’s reach,” the company said in a press release.

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“Hydrogen will eventually deliver a meaningful advantage for aviation. It offers greater range, increased payload, and lower operating costs in the right applications.

“But the wider ecosystem – liquid hydrogen supply, component maturity, regulatory pathways, and the refuelling infrastructure – has not yet matured to support the transition. Unfortunately, the advantage is not currently large enough to justify the disruption required to adopt it.”

While Stralis was also experimenting with “promising” hydrogen technology for drones, which it describes as “near-term solution with more immediate market demand”, co-founder and CTO Stuart Johnstone said the company remains firm on the decision to close, which was made with “clarity, a strong sense of pride, and without regret”.

“There are many factors that played into this outcome, including things we could have done differently. We continue to believe that hydrogen has a compelling long-term role in aviation,” he said.

“We are proud of the team, the technology, and every person who backed us. The timing wasn’t right for us, but the technology will find its moment, and we hope our work contributes to that.”

Hydrogen fuel cell technology has firmed up as a power source for clean aviation, with rival firm Dovetail having demonstrated a powertrain in Spain in 2024, while AMSL Aero has tested hydrogen for its Vertiia electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at Bankstown Airport.