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US aircraft giant Boeing claimed Thursday a world first in putting into the air a plane powered by a hydrogen-cell battery, a breakthrough that could herald a greener future for the industry.
"For the first time in the history of aviation, Boeing has flown a manned airplane that was powered by a hydrogen battery," Boeing chief technology officer John Tracy said.
The development was "a historical technological success for Boeing (and) ... full of promises for a greener future."
The company said that although hydrogen fuel cells could be used to power small planes it did not believe they could become the primary power source for large passenger aircraft.
The test plane was a small, white prop-driven aircraft capable of carrying two people.
It flew at a speed of 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour for about 20 minutes at an altitude of some 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) using only the hydrogen battery for power and with just the pilot on board.