ENAC and partners present Padova Sandbox, a hydrogen cargo drone project, to EASA

A delegation from Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC, the Veneto region, SAVE and H2C has presented the Padova Sandbox project to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in Cologne, ENAC said.

The project, started by SAVE and H2C, looks at how green hydrogen can be produced, stored and used for refuelling at an airport while meeting technical and safety requirements. Its aim is to bring civil cargo drones into service sooner, especially for healthcare.

According to ENAC, EASA recognised the value of the project, and the meeting set up a channel for dialogue and coordination between the agency and the Italian sandbox, to connect it with other European projects working on similar questions. The project does not yet offer an operational service.

The Italian delegation was led by ENAC's Marco Silanos and Guido Casellato, chief executive of H2C.