Frankfurt to Shanghai in 8 hours, Destinus developing hydrogen-powered supersonic plane

Destinus, a Swiss startup, announced that it will participate in an initiative by the Spanish Ministry of Science to help the Spanish government develop a hydrogen-powered supersonic aircraft.

Spain's science ministry will contribute €12m to the initiative, which will involve technology companies and Spanish universities.

Davide Bonetti, Destinus vice president of business development and product, said, "We are thrilled to have received these grants, and more importantly, that the Spanish and European governments are advancing the strategic path of hydrogen flight in alignment with our company."

Destinus has been testing prototypes for the past few years, with its second prototype, Eiger, flying successfully in late 2022.

Destinus envisions a hydrogen-powered supersonic plane capable of reaching speeds of 6,100 kilometers per hour, cutting the Frankfurt to Sydney flight time from 20 hours to four hours and 15 minutes; The time between Frankfurt and Shanghai has been cut to two hours and 45 minutes, eight hours shorter than the current journey.