A new start-up in Switzerland wants to revolutionise air travel by creating a hypersonic aircraft capable of flying from an airport in Switzerland to Australia in just four hours. Aviation experts are yet to be convinced and have branded the firm’s goals as unrealistic.

Swiss firm ready to fly into the future

The firm, which is called Destinus, is based in Canton Vaud and has an ambitious plan to get hypersonic planes in the sky as soon as 2025, with the earliest flights carrying just one ton of cargo. Destinus aims to up its cargo capacity to 100 tons by 2029 and hopes to have thousands of operational hyperplanes in use by the end of the decade.

The planes are said to use liquid hydrogen, releasing only water and heat into the atmosphere, unlike conventional planes that use kerosene or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). According to Destinus, the planes will also be able to start and navigate autonomously and will be able to act as both passenger and cargo aircraft. 

Video: YouTube / Destinus

Forbes has criticised the firm's goals as unrealistic

The US-based business publication Forbes has criticised the firm’s goals as unrealistic and said that the technical aspects of Destinus’ plans are still unclear. According to 20 Minuten, the company was founded by an anti-war Russian physicist and entrepreneur by the name of Mikhail Kokorich, who is now pursuing business opportunities outside of Russia.

Forbes asked Kokorich how Destinus would differentiate itself from its competitors in the hypersonic aviation industry. "Our goal is to be the best - not the first," Kokorich told the magazine.