Beyond Aero and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA) are preparing the operational groundwork for hydrogen-electric business aircraft refuelling at Nice Côte d’Azur, Cannes Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez airports. The work builds on a collaboration between the two parties that began nearly three years ago.

The study covers hydrogen supply, storage, distribution and refuelling scenarios for Beyond Aero’s One, a six- to eight-seat business aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells, with entry into service targeted for the early 2030s. Compressed gaseous hydrogen has emerged as the preferred solution, produced outside the airport perimeter and delivered by tube trailer to an on-site dispensing station. Two refuelling configurations are under assessment: a fixed dispenser near a dedicated parking area, or a mobile refuelling vehicle. Both are intended to limit initial capital outlay while allowing capacity to scale as aircraft numbers increase.

“Infrastructure readiness must advance at the same pace as aircraft development,” says Eloa Guillotin, co-founder and chief executive of Beyond Aero. “With Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, we are working from practical scenarios tailored to business aviation volumes and based on available technologies.”

Although the study spans all three airports, Cannes Mandelieu currently appears best suited to an initial deployment. As a major business aviation gateway to Monaco, it handles traffic representative of One’s intended use, and its layout offers a useful test case for integrating hydrogen infrastructure into a high-activity airport. No final investment or siting decision has been made, with further work to compare configurations and recommend a preferred solution for each airport.

Beyond Aero, founded in December 2020 and based in Toulouse, Paris and Los Angeles, has raised over $50 million in funding and reports $2 billion in letters of intent for One, which is designed to carry six passengers up to 800nm. The company has also completed France’s first manned, fully hydrogen-electric flight and acquired assets from Universal Hydrogen.