Flying Whales to showcase hydrogen propulsion potential of airships at Aerospace Test & Development Show
14/07/2025
As the aerospace sector works toward cleaner propulsion technologies, Flying Whales is exploring how airships can become early adopters of hydrogen fuel systems.
Neji El Khairi, hydrogen propulsion programme leader at Flying Whales, will be presenting a session at the Aerospace Test & Development Show that makes the case for airships as the ideal platform for advancing hydrogen technologies in aerospace.
El Khairi joined Flying Whales in 2023, bringing with him a background in automotive and rail. Now working within the company’s Research & Innovation department, his mission is to shape the hydrogen R&D roadmap for a novel type of aviation application. Aerospace is new for me,” he shared, “but I see strong potential for knowledge transfer from automotive and railway applications to aerospace. I’m applying that experience to help accelerate hydrogen technology integration into our airship.
For El Khairi, hydrogen represents more than just an engineering challenge, it’s a personal commitment to supporting the energy transition. “Hydrogen and battery-electric are complementary. But for me, hydrogen offers long-term potential, and airships are a perfect platform to showcase that.”
In his upcoming session, El Khairi will discuss why airships – thanks to their large internal volume, low-altitude flight profiles and other advantages to be explored during the session – offer unique advantages for hydrogen integration. They are less constrained than traditional aircraft, so they allow us to test systems in flight under more flexible conditions,” he explained.
Flying Whales is already operating with hybrid propulsion, using batteries alongside turbo-generators. But the team is now examining the "substitution scope,” determining how and where hydrogen fuel cells can begin replacing current systems. “We might not replace everything at once – it could be 50% turbines, 50% fuel cells,” he noted. “It’s about tailoring propulsion to our different mission profiles.”
El Khairi hopes his session attracts researchers, and potential collaborators. “This is a call to R&D partnerships. If we don’t build this technology together, it may never see the light of day.”
His message is clear: for hydrogen to succeed in aerospace, the industry needs platforms like airships to act as real-world demonstrators, and a shared commitment to collaborative innovation.
Session: Will airships be the first large hydrogen-powered aircraft?
Date: 30th September 2025
Time: 12:20 - 12:50
El Khairi joined Flying Whales in 2023, bringing with him a background in automotive and rail. Now working within the company’s Research & Innovation department, his mission is to shape the hydrogen R&D roadmap for a novel type of aviation application. Aerospace is new for me,” he shared, “but I see strong potential for knowledge transfer from automotive and railway applications to aerospace. I’m applying that experience to help accelerate hydrogen technology integration into our airship.
For El Khairi, hydrogen represents more than just an engineering challenge, it’s a personal commitment to supporting the energy transition. “Hydrogen and battery-electric are complementary. But for me, hydrogen offers long-term potential, and airships are a perfect platform to showcase that.”
In his upcoming session, El Khairi will discuss why airships – thanks to their large internal volume, low-altitude flight profiles and other advantages to be explored during the session – offer unique advantages for hydrogen integration. They are less constrained than traditional aircraft, so they allow us to test systems in flight under more flexible conditions,” he explained.
Flying Whales is already operating with hybrid propulsion, using batteries alongside turbo-generators. But the team is now examining the "substitution scope,” determining how and where hydrogen fuel cells can begin replacing current systems. “We might not replace everything at once – it could be 50% turbines, 50% fuel cells,” he noted. “It’s about tailoring propulsion to our different mission profiles.”
El Khairi hopes his session attracts researchers, and potential collaborators. “This is a call to R&D partnerships. If we don’t build this technology together, it may never see the light of day.”
His message is clear: for hydrogen to succeed in aerospace, the industry needs platforms like airships to act as real-world demonstrators, and a shared commitment to collaborative innovation.
Session: Will airships be the first large hydrogen-powered aircraft?
Date: 30th September 2025
Time: 12:20 - 12:50