Aerospace and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in Germany

Hybrid Electric Flight

In 2020, electric aircraft set new distance records, replicated short commercial flight paths and attracted investment from the major airlines.
Hybrid electric aircraft have the potential to transform mobility thanks to drastically reduced aircraft emissions and noise pollution levels. In the mid-2000s, aviation generated more than two percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. With the number of air passengers forecast to double by 2035, hybrid electric flight offers the industry a way forward towards climate-neutral aviation.

New Modes of Air Mobility

Electric engines also make completely new aircraft configurations possible – allowing fuel consumption and emission levels to be reduced further still. This new clean and quiet mode of aviation could also pave the way to new modes of mobility including, for example, airborne shuttle services directly from city centers to the nearest large airport in the not-so-distant future.

Decarbonizing Flying

Decarbonized, or climate-neutral, flight is the declared goal by 2035 – with the industry seeking to bring the world’s first climate-neutral commercial aircraft to market. These technologies will enable climate-neutral flight on all distances up until 2050 – all of which are already or will be developed and produced in Germany.

Federal Aviation Research Program

The aviation research program supports the goals formulated in the European agreed “Flightpath 2050” document. This program will be continued and funding for hybrid-electric flying will be ramped up. In the region of EUR 25 million has been budgeted for hydrogen technologies in the aeronautics research program for the period 2020 to 2024.

Objectives

• Build overall system capability in the new technology area of hybrid-electric flying through, among other things, disruptive propulsion concepts (e.g., fuel cell, H2 engine/generator, and compact and reliable hybrid-electric propulsion architecture based on hydrogen fuel cells) and sustainable ground power (multifunctional fuel cell).
• Flight-test hydrogen-powered and hybrid-electric technologies (combination of hydrogen/fuel cell/battery technologies) in the regional aircraft sector and preparation of these technologies for use in the commercial widebody sector.

Urban and Regional Air Mobility

Urban air vehicle concepts are attracting international investment, with “flying car” projects across Germany also raising significant capital investment. Vertical take-off and landing aircraft can fly from high buildings and fit efficiently into existing transport infrastructure. The technological advances made in electric aviation, reduced maintenance levels and the short distances covered in urban transportation (typically between 30 km and 50 km) make new routes – currently covered by car and train – both possible and profitable. Ambulance services as well as the medical supply delivery of blood and organs are but two examples of time-critical services that will also almost certainly be dealt with by air.

Model Regions for Urban Air Mobility

As one of the largest civil aviation locations, Hamburg has realized the potential of urban air mobility at an early stage. The Hanseatic city has been a Model Region for Urban Air Mobility since 2018. Hamburg is one of the first cities in Europe to tap into the civil use of drone and other urban air aviation technologies.

Hamburg offers optimal urban air mobility conditions thanks to its dense urban environment and large number of aviation companies and operators driving drone technology development.  Ingolstadt, along with 14 other European municipalities – including Hamburg – has also been part of the EU-supported "Urban Air Mobility Initiative" since 2018.