Stralis Aircraft will shut down after completing its first hydrogen-electric taxi test at Brisbane International Airport in Australia, ending the company’s push to commercialise the technology. The Beechcraft Bonanza A36 demonstrator completed the milestone on 29 July 2026, but the business judged it could not move from technical proof to commercial readiness quickly enough to remain viable.
The closure comes after Stralis described the taxi as the Southern Hemisphere’s first hydrogen-electric aircraft taxi at an international airport, with only water vapour emitted during the run. Chief engineer and test pilot Steven Holden was involved in the demonstration.
Stralis had been developing hydrogen-electric aviation systems and related drone applications, but faced a difficult market environment. Insufficient airline demand, high certification costs and immature hydrogen supply, infrastructure and regulatory pathways limited the prospects for a rapid commercial launch. The shutdown leaves no indication of a rescue funding round, order backlog or certification breakthrough that could have kept the programme alive.