On October 17, 2024, the third review meeting for the Clean-Aviation HERA project took place at CAJU headquarters in Brussels. Attendees included CAJU representatives, two external experts, HERA project team members, and EASA representatives.
Meeting Objectives:
- Review technical progress up to June 2024.
- Evaluate dissemination, communication, and exploitation activities from the first reporting period.
- Confirm the project’s alignment with the Grant Agreement (GA) and CAJU's high-level goals.
The reviewers had access to key reference materials. Based on this, preliminary questions were prepared for the consortium, prompting open and constructive discussions.
The main goal of HERA is to develop hybrid-electric aircraft concepts targeting entry into service by 2035, achieving significant CO₂ and fuel burn reductions compared to 2020 aircraft—critical for impact in the aviation sector. This review focused on the reference aircraft models and proposed aircraft concepts. A master plan was presented to connect current HERA activities (CA-JU Phase 1) with future phases (e.g., CAJU Phase 2) toward EIS 2035. Two aircraft concepts, UseCaseA(UCA) and UCB, are being developed in parallel with multiple innovative technologies.
The meeting tackled program challenges and key issues. EASA’s participation marked the start of its collaboration with the HERA consortium.
