United Airlines’ announcement Monday that it could be flying hydrogen-electric-powered regional jets by 2028 runs counter to expert consensus that development timelines will take at least twice as long given the complexity of the technology and the amount of funding required for development and commercialization.
“Sometimes showmanship trumps science and technology,” Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis for Teal Group, a Fairfax, Virginia, firm that provides market analysis and...