Stralis Aircraft has shut down after completing a hydrogen-electric taxi test in Brisbane, ending development of its Beechcraft Bonanza A36 demonstrator and its wider hydrogen propulsion programme. The Australian startup reached the milestone at Brisbane Airport before deciding the market remained too uncertain and capital-intensive to support the business, despite the technology proving workable.
Co-founder and chief technology officer Stuart Johnstone linked the closure to the long and costly path from demonstration to certification and commercial service. The company had spent about four years developing the Bonnie aircraft and completed what it described as the first hydrogen-electric aircraft taxi in the Southern Hemisphere on 29 July 2026.
Stralis’ exit highlights the gap between technical proof and commercial adoption in hydrogen aviation, where infrastructure needs, certification demands and operational disruption continue to complicate funding decisions. The company thanked investors, partners and staff as it wound down operations.