Expanding US carrier Alaska Airlines has announced an investment in California-based JetZero, which is developing a blended-wing body (BWB) airliner promising up to 50% lower fuel burn than current 200-plus passenger aircraft and targeting 2030 entry into service. The airline did not specify the value of the investment or its potential scale or timing but confirmed that the deal included options for future orders of the blended wing jets. Alaska’s stake in JetZero was facilitated through Alaska Star Ventures, a dedicated investment platform established in 2021 by the airline to identify and support technologies to help it achieve its steep target of net zero carbon emissions by 2040. In 2021, Alaska invested in hydrogen-electric pioneer ZeroAvia and entered a development collaboration on a hydrogen powertrain for a 76-seat zero-emission aircraft with the startup.

“We are always looking for ways to innovate and shape the future of air travel,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska’s SVP of public affairs and sustainability, announcing the JetZero investment.

The family of planes proposed by JetZero features an innovative arrowhead design in which the fuselage and swept-back wings are integrated, lightweight composite materials are widely used and two high bypass jet engines are mounted atop the rear of the fuselage. The company says the design, which also excludes a tail, “dramatically” improves aerodynamic efficiency compared to conventional tube-and-wing jet designs and will a be able to use 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

“A shorter, wider fuselage is blended together, mimicking the wing to provide lift,” explained JetZero. “With less drag and weight, the size of the engines is reduced, which further reduces drag and weight. This breakthrough fills the mid-market gap with an aircraft that achieves half the fuel burn and emissions of the ageing fleet it will replace.”

JetZero was founded in 2021 by an engineering team who pioneered the BWB concept, with co-founder and CTO Mark Page first investigating future BWB properties under a NASA initiative in the 1990s while at McDonnell Douglas. Although blended wing technology has been studied for three decades by NASA and other partners, it is JetZero which is progressing the concept to commercialisation.

Last year, it secured a $235 million award from the Innovation Unit of the US Department of Defense to develop and fly a full-scale demonstrator aircraft by the first quarter of 2027 and this month it received a grant of $8 million through the FAA’s FAST programme. It is partnering with Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites to build and test the demonstrator, and Pratt & Whitney GatorWorks to design and integrate its propulsion system. Although it will initially be designed to use 100% SAF, JetZero said its design could also accommodate later conversion to hydrogen propulsion.

“The biggest challenge for airlines is lowering fuel burn and emissions,” said JetZero co-founder and CEO Tom O’Leary. “Of all the great new technologies in work, the BWB design delivers the biggest market impact by far. Airlines will see immediate benefit in cost savings, dramatically lower emissions, and improved customer service compared to airplanes flying today. We’re thrilled to welcome Alaska to our team of innovators, and our belief is that this aircraft will reshape aviation.”

The airline’s Diana Birkett Rakow said: “We are proud to invest in JetZero’s development of this innovative next-generation aircraft, with a significant step-change in fuel efficiency. We and JetZero share a vision for more sustainable aviation, and we are excited to partner with them in creating that future.”   

As well as committing to support JetZero, Alaska Airlines is also backing hydrogen-electric propulsion company ZeroAvia, which is developing a family of zero emission propulsion systems to replace fossil-fuel engines in existing turbine and turboprop aircraft.

In May last year, Alaska Airlines delivered one of its decommissioned Bombardier Q400 turboprop airliners – also known as Dash 8-400s – to the hydrogen propulsion company for use as an airborne test platform. The aircraft was previously operated by Alaska’s regional division, Horizon Air.

ZeroAvia is progressing its entry level ZA 600 powertrain towards certification for use in 10-20 seat aircraft by next year, and is well-advanced on its next model, the ZA 2000, designed to retrofit zero emission propulsion systems into 40-80 seat turboprop airliners like the Q400 or Europe’s ATR42 and 72 family of aircraft. For this programme it is targeting entry into service by 2027. Jet derivatives are also planned.

In addition to its JetZero and ZeroAvia partnerships, Alaska Airlines could also be linked to a third new aircraft programme if its proposal to acquire Hawaiian Airlines wins regulatory approval. Hawaiian has invested an undisclosed amount in US-based Regent Seagliders and is part of an advisory group assisting with the design of a 100-seat version of the battery-electric aircraft, which will use waterways and wharves instead of land based runways and airports, and will operate high speed, low altitude flights over water.

Image: Render of the JetZero blended-wing body concept aircraft

Tony Harrington

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Hydrogen propulsion developer ZeroAvia has secured additional investment funding from American Airlines and new backing from Japanese industrialist ITOCHU Corporation, as it progresses plans to certificate its entry-level hydrogen-electric powertrains in 2025. American upped its stake in ZeroAvia just days after the failure of rival company Universal Hydrogen, in which the airline was also a headline investor, and announced a “conditional” agreement to buy 100 ZeroAvia powertrains to convert regional jets to cleaner power. ITOCHU has signed a wide-ranging agreement in which it will support the company’s expansion across Asia. Universal’s demise has cemented ZeroAvia’s position as the biggest emergent supplier of hydrogen-electric powertrains to replace fossil-fuelled engines on turboprop planes and regional jets, and later to power new narrowbody aircraft.

American’s agreement to strengthen its ZeroAvia partnership coincided with the airline’s release of its latest sustainability report, in which CEO Robert Isom warned that decarbonisation “is not happening at the pace we need.”

“Game-changing technologies like hydrogen, which American is also helping to advance, are expected to be important elements of the long-term solution for decarbonising aviation,” said Isom. “But to get from here to there, we need manufacturers to invest in the incremental but meaningful advances in airframe and engine technologies that can come online with the next generation of aircraft.”

ZeroAvia, which is jointly based in the UK and USA, is developing a family of hydrogen-electric engines, and is currently using a pair of Dornier 228 turboprop testbeds to reach certification next year of its ZA600 powertrain for 9-19 seat aircraft, offering a 300-mile flight range. It is also actively progressing its larger ZA2000 powertrain to provide cleaner propulsion and up to 700 miles of range for aircraft of 40-80 seats, targeting a 2027 launch.

American Airlines announced an initial investment in ZeroAvia in August 2022, two months before it also revealed a strategic equity investment in Universal Hydrogen. It did not disclose the value or terms of either deal, or for its newly increased stake in ZeroAvia, which it said was part of that company’s Series C financing round.

Nor has American detailed the caveats attached to its conditional purchase agreement for 100 ZeroAvia powertrains, which could replace the fossil-fuelled engines on regional jets including Bombardier CRJ700s operated by the airline on a range of regional routes. An engine deal was first flagged by American in 2022, when announcing it had “the opportunity” to order up to 100 engines from ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrain development programme. 

American said its increased investment in ZeroAvia and intention to buy hydrogen-electric powertrains formed part of a much broader strategy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Its plan includes extensive fleet renewal and investments in sustainable aviation fuel from suppliers including Infinium, an emerging producer of e-fuels. American was also the first customer for Graphyte, a US carbon removal and storage startup backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures.       

ZeroAvia’s founder and CEO, Val Miftakhov, said his company’s hydrogen-electric powertrains would emit only low temperature water vapour, while low intensity electrical systems would potentially deliver significant cost efficiencies.

“In signing this purchase agreement and furthering its investment, American is supporting our mission of innovation for clean aircraft propulsion,” said Miftakhov, describing the airline’s increased backing as “a good signal that ZeroAvia is delivering on our technology roadmap. The solutions that can serve the largest airlines are within reach, and the clean future of flight is coming.”

ZeroAvia claims almost 2,000 pre-orders for its engines from multiple major airlines, with “future revenue potential” exceeding $10 billion.

The additional partnership announcement with ITOCHU Corporation further strengthens ZeroAvia following American’s increased interest and the failure of Universal, while also ensuring increased focus on ZeroAvia at the forthcoming Farnborough International Airshow.

 While ITOCHU did not detail the scale of its new investment, it announced its appointment as ZeroAvia’s sales representative for Asia and had additionally signed a MoU for wide-ranging collaboration across the region in areas including maintenance, airport infrastructure and hydrogen infrastructure.

“It is expected that there will be approximately 44,000 commercial aircraft in 2042, 1.6 times the number in 2023,” said ITOCHU. “With IATA and ICAO announcing their goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the decarbonisation of the aviation industry is an international challenge. To solve the issue, new technologies in addition to SAF, such as hydrogen aircraft, are necessary.”  

ZeroAvia also revealed it has developed “revolutionary” AI-driven, scalable smart microgrid optimisation software that aims to minimise the cost of green hydrogen production for clean aviation and other applications. Testing in California of its Smart Hydrogen AI Production Software (SHAIPS) has shown in excess of a 20% reduction of the levelized cost of hydrogen compared to an electrolyser generating hydrogen based on the average electricity wholesale price, reports the company. In the US, the Department of Energy is targeting $1 per kg of hydrogen by 2030, while the Inflation Reduction Act established up to $3 per kg as part of a production tax credit.

American’s 2023 Sustainability Report was released by the airline on the same day it announced its increased commitments to ZeroAvia, and pointedly referred to the sector’s limited progress in reducing aviation’s harmful emissions.

“We are taking concrete steps within our operations and pulling all the levers we can to drive progress,” said American’s CEO in his introduction to the report. “But the reality is the action we can take within our own operations – or the scale of investment we can absorb in our low-margin business – will never be sufficient on its own.

“Aviation is widely recognised as one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise. Getting there is going to require action and investment across the public and private sectors, and quite frankly, that’s not happening at the pace or scale we need.

“Sustainable aviation fuel is a perfect example. American has a goal to use 10% SAF in 2030. In 2023 we used 2.7 million gallons of SAF – the most we’ve used in a single year – but it was still less than 1%. That wasn’t for lack of trying. We’ve signed commitments with multiple SAF producers, at a premium, to try to secure supply and, in the case of Infinium, to help attract capital to bring new, lower-carbon SAF technology to market sooner. But the volume of SAF available today and likely to be ready over the next several years is a tiny fraction of what’s needed.

“It’s a risk for me to come out and say that American’s ability to achieve our 2030, 2035 and 2050 climate goals is in jeopardy. But in my mind, the bigger risk is failing to sound the alarm that there’s an urgent need for more and faster action across the public and private sectors.”

Image: ZeroAvia

Tony Harrington

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With UK elections due to take place this year, industry coalition Sustainable Aviation has launched a manifesto that calls on the next government to accelerate policy action on the transition to net zero aviation. Specifically, it sets out how the incoming government can ensure the UK is world-leading in sustainable aviation through becoming an early mover on SAF production and supply, strengthening aerospace technology innovation and accelerating airspace modernisation. The industry group represents airlines, airports, manufacturers, air navigation service providers and fuel producers. The government has just announced £200 million ($250m) in joint public/industry investment for energy efficient aircraft while the UK CAA has selected three companies for the government funded Hydrogen Challenge Sandbox. Elsewhere, SAF startup Avioxx has raised new investment towards developing a UK SAF production plant.

Top of the industry’s wish list for the new government is action to deliver commercial UK SAF production at scale this decade with at least five UK SAF plants under construction in 2025. Sustainable Aviation’s roadmap for the UK aviation sector to reach net zero by 2050 shows that of all the mitigation measures available, SAF will have by far the largest influence on achieving the goal, accounting for 39% of 2050 total unabated emissions.

The cross-sector group calls for an accelerated timetable to deliver a government-backed SAF revenue support mechanism through the introduction of primary legislation in the early months of the new parliament. This would be a catalyst to establish a pipeline of investment for SAF production of second-generation advanced SAF ahead of power-to-liquid SAF in the medium to long term, it says. To ensure aviation has a fair share of sustainable feedstocks for second-generation SAF, regulations should be amended to ensure SAF is prioritised as an energy recovery pathway for waste, it recommends.

The industry manifesto also calls for government support for long-term R&D on aerospace innovation to provide the UK with a competitive advantage in aviation efficiency and the commercialisation of new technologies, including hydrogen. In order to meet the net zero by 2050 objective, capacity should be secured to meet the required renewable energy to produce renewable fuels for the industry. The roll-out of carbon removal and carbon capture and storage technology should also be accelerated to mitigate residual aviation carbon emissions by including carbon removals in the UK ETS scheme “and ensuring aviation’s fair share”.

Commented Matt Gorman, Chair of Sustainable Aviation and Heathrow Airport’s Sustainability Director: “Our transition to net zero flight will not only safeguard and grow aviation’s contribution to the UK economy but also create thousands of new jobs. By leveraging our existing strengths as an aviation nation, we can lead the world in green aviation technology.”

The manifesto was launched at an event in Parliament attended by Aviation Minister Anthony Browne and the opposition Labour Party’s Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation, Sarah Jones.

The final details of the UK SAF mandate legislation, due to be in force during 2025, are expected to be published by the government very soon.

This month, the UK government announced almost £200 million of joint government and industry funding for aerospace R&D projects to support the development of energy efficient and zero-carbon aircraft technology towards the transition to net zero. This includes £40 million for a project by Marshall Group to develop zero-carbon engine technology and £96 million investment in Airbus-led projects developing more efficient wing designs.

Funding for these projects will be delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). It was also confirmed that the £975 million in aerospace funding over the five years from 2025, announced late last year, will be allocated to the ATI programme. The programme has facilitated over £3.6 billion of joint government and industry R&D investment to date.

Meanwhile, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has selected Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, Exeter Airport Consortium and ZeroAvia for its Hydrogen Challenge Sandbox, an initiative to increase industry and regulatory readiness for the introduction of hydrogen fuel and new technologies. The challenge was launched in November with grant-based funding of £940,000 from the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, which is overseen by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and runs for an initial period until February 2025.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions is developing a hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain to be applied to aircraft and aims to conduct ground testing and flight trials this year. The CAA will work with the company on identifying hazards, risks and safety challenges associated with its project.

ZeroAvia, which is also developing hydrogen-electric engines and already flying a prototype system in a Dornier 228 testbed under a UK CAA Permit to Fly, will work with the regulator to identify hazards, risks and safety challenges associated with the retrofitting of a hydrogen-electric powertrain.

A study by Regional & City Airports, TUI, hydrogen technology developer ULEMCo and Cranfield University is looking at reducing the environmental impact of aircraft turnarounds at Exeter Airport. Through the challenge, Consortium members and the regulatory authority will review and provide feedback on safety cases, test plans and risk assessments, and ultimately inform the development of guidance material and regulations for the future.

“Working with the three selected companies will enable us to take a step closer towards a net zero aviation sector by supporting the industry to explore how feasible the introduction of hydrogen is and how we can make sure regulation develops with the technology and is fit for purpose,” said Tim Johnson, Director of Strategy and Policy at the UK CAA.

In other UK news, SAF developer startup Avioxx has successfully closed a pre-series A funding round led by UK travel company Trailfinders. The undisclosed capital investment, said Avioxx, will bolster its R&D efforts and expand market reach, design and regulatory approval of a first 5,000 tonne per year SAF production plant. The company aims to deliver a full-scale 32,000 tonne-per-year plant by 2027. Its patented system, which transforms waste destined for incineration or landfill, aims to deliver SAF at price parity with fossil-based jet fuel through the incorporation of solid oxide fuel cells to the manufacturing process.

“We’ve rapidly prepared Avioxx for a pre-series A round and our partnership with Trailfinders is ideal to support the delivery of our vision,” commented CEO Chris Hancock. “Trailfinders can offer much more than capital with access to their established networks within the travel community and experience. We’re thrilled to accelerate the development of the business and delivery of our initial operational SAF plant is now much closer.”

Further rounds of funding will be announced later in the year for the development and construction phase of the initial plant planned for the northwest of the UK.

Photo: Heathrow Airport

Christopher Surgenor

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The transition to hydrogen-fuelled flights, initially on regional air routes, has received a double boost, with major milestones announced by two leading powertrain developers, ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen. Both companies are developing hydrogen propulsion systems to replace fossil-fuelled engines in existing commuter planes and are progressing flight test programmes. ZeroAvia has just secured additional funding  from 10 investors, jointly-led by Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, to progress certification of its entry-level ZA600 powertrain, designed to retrofit 9-20 seat commuter planes. Airbus and ZeroAvia will also collaborate on key technical issues to help achieve certification of hydrogen propulsion. In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has accepted an application by Universal Hydrogen for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to convert ATR72 regional turboprops to hydrogen propulsion, and has provided essential documentation for the certification process.

ZeroAvia is developing a family of hydrogen-electric engines that use hydrogen in fuel cells to produce electricity, which then powers electric motors to spin the aircraft’s propellors. Airbus, Barclays and Saudi Arabia’s NEOM were joined in the latest investment round by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Horizons Ventures, Alaska Airlines, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Summa Equity, AP Ventures and Amazon Climate Pledge Fund.

First-stage flight testing of the ZA600 protype was completed recently and ZeroAvia is now undertaking final design work required to achieve certification, targeting entry into service in 2025. As well as supporting this programme, supported by two converted Dornier 228 testbed planes, the additional funding will help progress development of the company’s next engine, the ZA2000, a 2-5.4MW powerplant designed for use on larger aircraft. ZeroAvia is converting a 76-seat Dash 8-400 turboprop, formerly operated by Alaska Airlines, for use as a demonstrator aircraft, and aiming to flight test this engine concept next year. 

Airbus, a leading proponent of hydrogen-powered aircraft, has additionally agreed to collaborate with ZeroAvia on certification approaches for the propulsion systems, focusing on key technical areas including liquid hydrogen fuel storage, ground and flight testing of fuel propulsion systems, and development of refuelling infrastructure and operations for hydrogen-powered planes. Both companies are already working with partners including major and regional airports on operational challenges including transportation, storage and delivery of hydrogen fuel.

Through its ZEROe aircraft programme, in which fuel cell systems are a key element, Airbus recently conducted ground tests with a hydrogen engine concept at 1.2MW power. By the late 2020s, it will use A380 research aircraft to commence flight testing of hydrogen propulsion concepts as part of its own ambition to introduce a new zero-emission airliner into commercial service by 2035. 

ZeroAvia’s founder and CEO, Val Miftakhov, welcomed the Airbus investment as a strong endorsement of his own company’s progress in hydrogen propulsion. “Anybody following the development of hydrogen aviation, and its potential to transform the industry, will see this investment as a positive step,” he said. “Airbus has led the way with its zero-emission vision and a commitment to extensive research and development programmes. For ZeroAvia to now have investors such as Airbus coming on board is the strongest possible validation of the prospects for hydrogen-electric propulsion technology.” 

Glen Llewellyn, Airbus VP, ZEROe Aircraft, said ZeroAvia’s success in flight-testing fuel cell propulsion, and hydrogen storage and distribution systems on its Dornier 228 research aircraft, had put the company in a strong position to advance its technologies. “In addition,” he said, “ZeroAvia is supporting the development of a wider hydrogen ecosystem for aviation – technologies, decarbonised hydrogen supply and certification of hydrogen propulsion systems – which all complement well with our own ambition to bring ZEROe hydrogen-powered aircraft to service by 2035.”   

Repeat investor Barclays said green hydrogen was a leading decarbonisation pathway for hard-to-abate sectors including aviation. “Our Sustainable Impact Capital portfolio is one of many ways in which Barclays is supporting green-tech companies to innovate and scale, recognising that doing so at speed is crucial for a timely transition to net zero,” explained Andy Challis, the company’s Co-Head of Principal Investments. “ZeroAvia has shown that with ambition, technological innovation and the right support from both the public and private sector, it is possible to scale and implement such hydrogen technologies at pace, as evidenced by the ZA600 moving ever-closer to commercial flight.”

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, the other lead investor in ZeroAvia’s latest funding round, said it was committed to maximising the use of renewably-produced energy. “Developing a green hydrogen future is central to NEOM’s Mission,” said Majid Mufti, Managing Director of the NEOM Investment Fund. “Participating in this venture with ZeroAvia was a natural choice for us.” 

Over in California, Universal Hydrogen has developed a modular system in which capsules of hydrogen are transported to airports, then loaded onto the aircraft they will power, eliminating the need for dedicated airport fuelling infrastructure.

The start-up commenced flight tests earlier this year of its 40-seat Dash 8-300 testbed ‘Lightning McClean’, the largest fuel-cell powered aircraft to fly. It expects its test and certification programme to take two years, and is targeting 2025 for entry into service of larger ATR72 turboprop aircraft, powered by its containerised hydrogen fuel.

The company has now secured key documentation from the FAA to establish certification criteria, as part of its plan to convert conventionally-powered ATR72s to use portable liquid hydrogen modules to power a fuel cell-electric propulsion system.

The FAA has accepted Universal’s application for a Supplementary Type Certificate (STC) to convert ATR aircraft, and has granted a G-1 Issue Paper, a key step in developing certification criteria that includes development of airworthiness and environmental standards which the converted ATR would need to meet. As well as the new propulsion system, the Universal Hydrogen conversion also requires structural changes to aircraft to load and accommodate the hydrogen fuel canisters.

Like ZeroAvia, Universal Hydrogen is well backed by highly-credentialled investors including Airbus Ventures, GE Aviation, JetBlue Ventures, American Airlines, Toyota Ventures and a mix of green energy and sustainable finance partners. Among its customers is US start-up carrier Connect Airlines, which has announced orders for 75 ATR72 conversion kits and options for 25 more.

“I believe we have an industry first here,” said Mark Cousin, Universal’s President and CTO. “We appreciate our responsibility to ensure the airworthiness certification criteria that are established set a positive precedent for the rest of the nascent hydrogen aviation industry.”

Universal Hydrogen advisor Carl Burleson, a former Acting Deputy Administrator of the FAA, added: “For something as novel as hydrogen-powered airplanes, establishing the certification basis is a critically important milestone in the certification process. This is the culmination of nearly two years of effort between Universal Hydrogen and the FAA on this trailblazing project, which represents a key part of the solution set to help address the aviation industry’s commitment to a zero-carbon future.”

Image: In August, new Canary Islands operator Surcar Airlines selected ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric engines to retrofit a Twin Otter seaplane variant

Editor’s note: Both Airbus and ZeroAvia will be talking about the latest developments in hydrogen-powered aircraft technology at the Aviation Carbon 2023 conference, co-organised by GreenAir and taking place in London on November 6/7.

Tony Harrington

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After a four-year absence due to the global pandemic, the aerospace industry returned in force to the Paris Air Show, which was marked not just by 1,260-plus orders and options for new aircraft, but also by a flood of product, procurement and partnership deals focused on reducing the sector’s impact on the environment. The event was also thick with news of zero-emission aircraft and propulsion systems, technology breakthroughs promising higher efficiency and lower emissions, and research and development programmes to refine or explore paths to more sustainable aviation. An order by India’s largest airline, IndiGo, for 500 Airbus A320 and 321 neo jets to accommodate huge growth plans beyond 2030, reinforced forecasts that the global commercial fleet will double in size over the next 20 years.

Multiple commitments and technology advances were announced for the evolving electric aviation sector, most with certification and entry-into-service targets between 2025 and 2030. Miami-based AeroLease announced it had signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire 50 Eviation Alice electric commuter planes, while Netherlands-based start-up Maeve Aerospace unveiled a revised version of its proposed 44-seat Maeve 01 all-electric aircraft, to be powered with four 1.2 Mw electric motors. Maeve is aiming for certification in 2028 and entry into commercial service in 2030.

French start-up Aura Aero confirmed commitments and collaborations in Europe, the US and Africa for its ERA electric thrust aircraft, which will be offered in passenger and freight configurations. Maltese executive fleet operator Elit’ Avia and French regional carrier Pan Europeene signed LOIs for a combined 12 planes. Additionally, Utah-based freight airline Alpine Air Express signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to assist Aura Aero in gaining US certification for the ERA and Gabon-based AfriJet signed a MoU, which, while not specifying details, the airline’s CEO, Marc Gaffajoli, described as “for us, the most plausible and mature solution.”

Marseille-based airframer Daher, together with Airbus and Safran, exhibited for the first time their EcoPulse aircraft, a hybrid-electric distributed propulsion testbed, which will rely on a single independent electrical source to power multiple engines. Based on Daher’s TBM aircraft platform, the EcoPulse has six wing-mounted e-propellers provided by Safran, and two power sources – a Safran gas turbine and a battery pack supplied by Airbus. The demonstrator will begin flight testing later this year as part of a programme to define, develop and deliver a hybrid-powered plane to market by 2027.

Another French start-up, Beyond Aero, unveiled its four-passenger BYA-1 hydrogen-electric jet, while the Volt Aero Cassio 330, a 4-5 seat hybrid-electric aircraft, was also displayed ahead of its first flight in the coming weeks.

US-based electric powertrain developer MagniX said it would soon start converting a De Havilland Dash 7 aircraft into a zero-emission testbed, replacing two of its four Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A engines with new MagniX 650 electric motors, and a pair of 450kwH battery packs. Another electric propulsion developer, Wright Electric, announced that ground trials of its new aerospace motor-generator had delivered 1 Megawatt (1,300 horsepower) of energy, enabling it to be used as a turbogenerator or auxiliary power unit for high altitude commercial or defence applications.

Airbus announced a research and development partnership with Geneva-based STMicroelectronics to explore the development of lighter, more efficient power electronics required for future hybrid-powered aircraft and all-electric air taxis. They will focus on wide bandgap Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride semiconductor materials, which have better electrical properties than conventional conductors such as silicon.

Rolls–Royce revealed it was ready to test its first small gas turbine, developed as a turbogenerator system for novel propulsion aircraft including electric air taxis, and hybrid-electric commuter planes seating up to 19 passengers. Additionally, regional jet maker Embraer announced a joint venture with Japanese electric motor manufacturer NIDEC to develop propulsion systems for eVTOL aircraft, with Embraer’s air taxi division Eve Air Mobility the launch customer.

Hydrogen propulsion developer ZeroAvia announced multiple deals, the largest of them an agreement to deliver 250 hydrogen-electric ZA2000 engines for 40-80 seat turboprop conversions to California-based Flyshare, which will launch a new airline, Air Cahana, on the west coast. UK-based lessor Monte also firmed a previously-provisional order for 100 ZA 600 powertrains for 9-19 seat aircraft, while French lessor Green Aerolease signed an MoU to acquire an unspecified number of ZA 600 units.

ZeroAvia also revealed that in tests with MHIRJ, the type certificate holder for CRJ regional jets, “clear applications” had been identified to retrofit regional jet aircraft with hydrogen-electric propulsion systems. The initial aircraft suitable for conversion to ZeroAvia’s proposed ZA 2000RJ powertrain would be a CRJ 700 aircraft, though the technical study also validated conversions of other in-service CRJ-series jets, including the CRJ 500 and 990 models.

Another zero-emission start-up, Sydney-based Dovetail Electric Aviation, announced a partnership with HTWO, the hydrogen power division of Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company, to test a hydrogen-electric powertrain for regional aircraft, with a view to commencing test flights as early as next year.

Deutsche Aircraft revealed the first metal was being cut for the prototype of its 40-seat D328eco regional airliner, a 100% SAF-compatible turboprop, which is scheduled for its first flight in 2025 and targeting entry into service by 2026, while at the opposite end of the scale US-based Jet Zero revealed its Z4 blended wing concept, targeted as a replacement for mid-market aircraft including the Boeing 767 and 787-8, with fuel burn savings of up to 50%.

The Airbus research arm UpNext announced a new test programme to investigate the replacement of a fossil-fuelled auxiliary power unit with a hydrogen fuel cell system to power non-propulsive aircraft functions including air conditioning, cabin lighting and avionics. An A330-200 jet will be retrofitted for the programme, taking to the air by late 2025.

Airbus also signed a MoU with US-based SAF producer LanzaJet to advance the construction of facilities to produce sustainable aviation fuel using LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet technology, while global energy company Sasol and Topsoe, a specialist in carbon reduction technologies, agreed to form a 50-50 joint venture to develop, build, own and operate new SAF plants, and market renewable fuels. E-fuel producer Twelve also used the Paris show to announce plans for SAF production from CO2 and renewable energy at a new plant to be built in the US state of Washington.

United Airlines Ventures revealed that another seven to eight partners would join its Sustainable Flight Fund within the next two months, and foreshadowed investment in new SAF offtake deals as producers built renewable fuel capacity.

On the eve of the Paris Air Show, seven chief technology officers from major aviation manufacturers released a statement committing to “supporting policies that increase the supply of SAF while ensuring a consistent and predictable demand through harmonised global measures.”

The CTOs of Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and Safran added: “We are unified in the proposition that our industry has a prosperous and more sustainable future, and that we can make it happen through the near-term implementation of lasting industry-wide and globalised harmonised policies.”

Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron visits Aura Aero display at the Paris Air Show

UK commuter plane manufacturer Britten-Norman and hydrogen propulsion developer Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) have announced their intention to merge their businesses, initially to create a fully-integrated zero-emission aircraft for entry into service by 2026. Britten-Norman makes the iconic Islander aircraft, a popular nine-seat commuter plane, while CAeS is pioneering hydrogen-electric fuel cell technology. The two have signed a Heads of Terms Agreement to merge by mid-year, in response, they say, to increasing demand from airlines and other operators wanting to switch to zero-emission aircraft that are backed by an OEM. Their announcement coincides with the rapid expansion of hydrogen powertrain retrofit programmes by ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen, and further progress elsewhere in electric and hybrid-electric aircraft development.

Britten-Norman and CAeS have been working together for more than two years on Project Fresson, through which they have been developing technologies needed to enable a hydrogen propulsion system for Islander aircraft. The project has been supported by funding from the UK government through the UK Aerospace Technology Institute, as well as more than £14 million ($17.5m) in private investment funds.

“By combining CAeS’s pioneering development of a hydrogen-electric fuel cell propulsion system with the existing and proven Britten-Norman aircraft technology, a clear and unambiguous route to market has been created with certification for passenger-carrying service planned for 2026,” said the companies on the planned merger.

The new, yet-to-be-named company will bring together investors from both businesses to progress the new integrated aircraft programme, which they intend to evolve from the initial commuter plane to an all-new zero-emission 100-seat aircraft.   

Once the merger is finalised, three CAeS investors, HydrogenOne Capital Growth, Safran Corporate Ventures and UAE-based investment company Strategic Development Fund will invest up to £10 million in the new business. Up to half will come from HydrogenOne, which is leading this funding round. As well, CAeS backers Cranfield University and US-based technology investor Motus Ventures will have shares in the new entity. They will be joined by Britten-Norman’s owners, including lead investor Alawi Zawawi. Further funding is also being raised to support the new company’s growth.

Cranfield Aerospace CEO Paul Hutton said the merger would accelerate his company’s plans to introduce an all-new zero emissions aircraft. “As other sectors decarbonise quickly, it is imperative that the aviation industry accelerates its own transition to new, clean aircraft,” he said. “Looking to the future, we will use the combined experience of Cranfield Aerospace and Britten-Norman to produce an entirely new aircraft design, optimised around hydrogen fuel cell technology.”

Britten-Norman specialises in twin-engine piston and turboprop short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft, and has exported 97% of the 1,300 aircraft it has manufactured. “The merging of Britten-Norman and Cranfield Aerospace Solutions will create a new market leader in green aircraft manufacturing, bringing together joint strengths in aerospace manufacturing, certification and innovation,” said Britten-Norman’s CEO, William Hynett.

The companies said their merger would also produce the first OEM sub-regional aircraft powered by hydrogen, providing significant employment in low-or-zero emission aircraft manufacturing in the UK and boosting the country’s aerospace exports. The combined entity will incorporate seven sites in London, Cranfield, Gosport, Isle of Wight and Southampton in the UK and in Malta and Miami, with around 220 people employed.

The Britten-Norman merger with CAeS coincides with accelerated testing of two retrofit hydrogen powertrain systems for larger turboprop aircraft, one by joint US-UK company ZeroAvia, the other involving US-based Universal Hydrogen. ZeroAvia is currently testing a hydrogen powertrain prototype on a 19-seat Dornier 228 testbed aircraft and has just take delivery of a Q400 aircraft decommissioned by Alaska Airlines, to be converted to a testbed for a hydrogen propulsion system to power 40-80 seat planes (see article). Universal Hydrogen has also started test flights of a Q300 aircraft, retrofitted with portable hydrogen capsules. Universal’s system enables the transfer of containerised hydrogen pods directly to the aircraft they will power, without the need for separate airport infrastructure.

The shift towards all-electric or hybrid-electric commuter planes is gathering pace, with UK-based lessor Monte Aircraft Leasing the latest customer for the nine-seat Eviation Alice, signing a letter of intent to acquire up to 30 of the twin-engined, all-electric aircraft, which offers a 250 nautical mile (463 kilometre) range and a maximum speed of 480 kph. Monte is a specialist provider of low-or-no emission regional aircraft and supporting infrastructure. The order is the second this year for Eviation, which recently secured another 30-plane deal from Mexican regional operator Aerus.

Another US-based start-up, Odys Aviation, has just secured funding from Abu Dhabi-based aviation advisory group Knighthood Global, whose Chairman, former Etihad CEO James Hogan, and one of Knighthood’s partners, former KLM CEO Camiel Eurlings, will also serve on the Odys advisory board. They join the US Air Force as an investor in this Californian company, which is also competing in the nine-seat commuter aircraft market, but with a high-speed, long-range, hybrid-electric vertical take-off or landing (VTOL) plane. Although it has similar capacity to the Eviation Alice and the hydrogen-electric Britten-Norman Islander, the Odys craft will have vertical take-off and landing capacity, using flap-based thrust vectoring rather than swivelling engines to achieve lift, and enabling it to use airports, heliports or vertiports.

Its hybrid-electric powertrain will also enable it fly up to 320 kilometres on electric power, or just over 1,200 kilometres using a mix of electric and conventional gas turbines, which can be powered by sustainable aviation fuel. It is also designed to fly at up to 30,000 feet and speeds of up to 555 kph, powered by 16 propeller motors attached to a box-wing.

“Our plans are revolutionary, bridging the gap between existing technology and fully electric aviation,” said James Dorris, co-founder and CEO of Odys Aviation. “By collaborating with Knighthood, we will expand our depth of industry experience and market reach to travellers, operators and investors around the world.”

Knighthood Chairman James Hogan said his company’s investment provided an exciting opportunity to participate in development of more sustainable air travel. “Air taxis miss the mark,” he said. “Odys is developing sustainable VTOL aircraft to cut the travel time in half on busy travel corridors and create a new era of aviation untethered from runways and large airports.”

South Korean Advanced Air Mobility service provider MintAir recently signed a letter of intent to acquire 30 of the aircraft.

Image: Britten-Norman/CAeS

Hydrogen-electric propulsion developer ZeroAvia has taken delivery of an ex-Alaska Airlines Bombardier Q400 regional airliner for conversion to a zero-emission flight testbed. The 76-seat turboprop aircraft will be retrofitted to test a prototype of ZeroAvia’s new ZA2000 hydrogen-electric powertrain, which is being developed to provide zero emission propulsion for 40-80 seat aircraft from 2027. The Q400, originally known known as the De Havilland Dash 8-400, was donated by Alaska Airlines, a ZeroAvia shareholder and research partner, whose regional subsidiary Horizon Air recently retired its turboprop fleet. It will become ZeroAvia’s fourth testbed aircraft, following two 19-seat Dornier 228s and a six-seat Piper Malibu, and when operational will be the world’s largest zero-emission aircraft. The jointly-branded Q400 was formally unveiled in a ceremony at ZeroAvia’s research and development site at Paine Field, north of Seattle. The event was also used by ZeroAvia to showcase a new multi-megawatt electric motor system, which was demonstrated by powering a propeller spin on a ground test rig.

The delivery of the Q400 is a significant stride for ZeroAvia, which launched hydrogen-electric flight tests two years ago with a 250kW hydrogen-electric powertrain retrofitted to the Piper Malibu testbed, followed earlier this year by the first flight test of its ZA600 propulsion system on one of the Dornier aircraft. The company is targeting 2024 certification of the ZA600 propulsion system for 9-19 seat regional planes, offering a zero-emission flight range of up to 300 miles (483 kilometres). Entry into commercial service is expected to be in 2025, with this programme also serving as a foundation for development and approval of the derivative ZA2000 propulsion system, to power 40-80 seat aircraft up to 700 miles (almost 1,130 kilometres).

ZeroAvia’s CEO and founder, Val Miftakhov, said the Q400 testbed would help advance his company’s long-range programme to decarbonise regional and medium-haul flights, initially by retrofitting turboprops and regional jets with zero-emission propulsion systems. “Demonstrating this size of aircraft in flight, powered entirely by novel propulsion, would have been unthinkable a few years ago,” he said. “Launching this programme puts us on track for a test flight next year and accelerates our progress towards the future of zero-emission flight for Alaska Airlines and for the world at large.”

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci described the imminent Q400 research programme as “a great step forward in aviation innovation, to help create a new future of flight,” and welcomed development of the programme near the airline’s Seattle home base. “Alaska Airlines has defined a five-part journey to achieve net zero carbon emissions long-term but we can’t get there alone,” he said. “New technologies are required to make that future possible and we’re thrilled to partner with industry leader ZeroAvia to make new zero emissions options a reality.”

The hydrogen-electric propulsion system developed by ZeroAvia uses fuel cells to create electricity from hydrogen fuel, which then drives electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. The ZA2000 system to be installed on the Q400 testbed aircraft will include ZeroAvia’s High Temperature PEM fuel cells and liquid hydrogen fuel storage, which are necessary to deliver sufficient energy density for flights by large turboprops. ZeroAvia has established an engineering partnership with De Havilland Canada, the original maker of the Dash 8 range of aircraft, to facilitate the exchange of both data and expertise. 

As well as inducting the ex-Horizon plane for conversion to a test platform, ZeroAvia has in recent weeks been testing in California a 1.8MW electric propulsion system configuration with a standard Dash 8-400 engine gearbox and propeller. This was demonstrated at the Paine Field event, with a propeller spin performed on ZeroAvia’s ground test rig, a 15-ton ‘HyperTruck’.

The configuration of this system consists of two ‘HyperCore’ motor modules, each of which is a powerful, high-speed 900kW machine which operates at 20,000 rpm, the same as a typical turbine engine, delivering 15kW/kg of motor power density.

“Crucially,” explained ZeroAvia, “HyperCore’s modular design enables the technology to address applications ranging from 900kW up to 5.4MW, meeting a number of regional turboprop and regional jet requirements. The HyperCores were successfully integrated with the stock Dash 8-400 engine gearbox and propeller, which dramatically simplifies integration into the aircraft as a replacement for a stock turbine engine.

“The development and testing programme will enable the understanding and measurement of system dynamics, calibration of physical and electrical models, and validation of thermal management systems,” the company said. It is also developing silicone-carbide power electronics and hydrogen fuel cell systems which will convert hydrogen to energy to power the electric propulsion system.

As well as engine and testbed aircraft developments, ZeroAvia has established a series of ground-based partnerships this year to progress hydrogen operations at regional airports.

In the Netherlands, the company has joined forces with Shell, Rotterdam-The Hague Airport, and Rotterdam-The Hague Innovation Airport to develop concept operations for hydrogen, and targeting demonstration flights by hydrogen-electric aircraft to European destinations within 250 nautical miles (463 kilometres) of Rotterdam by the end of 2024, ahead of commercial passenger flights by 2025.

ZeroAvia has also partnered with Birmingham Airport in the UK to develop hydrogen refuelling infrastructure to support a domestic ‘green aviation network’, with zero-emission flights operating by mid-decade to destinations including Glasgow, Aberdeen, Belfast and Dublin.

In north-east Sweden, the company has joined Braathens Regional Airlines, municipal energy company Skelleftea Kraft and Skelleftea Airport to develop commercial flights from the airport. They will initially explore opportunities from 2025 using 9- to 19-seat aircraft powered by ZeroAvia’s ZA600 powertrain, followed in 2027 with extended operations by 40-80 seat aircraft using the ZA2000 propulsion system. Braathens operates a fleet of 14 ATR72 turboprops, one of the candidate aircraft for the larger powertrain.

ZeroAvia has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nordic energy group Fortum to examine opportunities for hydrogen production and refuelling at airports, not just for air transport but also to support activities including heavy transportation, materials handling and other energy-consuming systems. It has entered a similar partnership with French company Absolut Hydrogen to assess production and storage of liquid hydrogen at airports, as well as refuelling for aircraft of up to 80 seats by 2027.

Top photo: The Q400 painted in a ZeroAvia/Alaska livery

Bottom photo (both photos Joe Nicholson – Alaska Airlines): ZeroAvia’s 15-ton HyperTruck ground-test rig

London’s Heathrow Airport is making available a £38 million ($46m) fund to encourage airlines using the airport to power their aircraft in part by sustainable aviation fuel, with the incentive aimed at covering up to 50% of the extra cost of SAF compared to conventional jet fuel. The oversubscribed incentive scheme started in 2022 with six airlines participating and Heathrow is now aiming to triple the percentage of SAF used this year to 1.5% and become one of the world’s leading airport users of SAF. English airports are targeted by the UK government to be zero-emission by 2040 and a second consultation has been opened by the Department for Transport (DfT) that aims to gather more information and feedback on the scope of the 2040 goal and the route for implementation. In other UK news, the DfT has announced the five winning proposals for a share of the Advanced Fuels Fund competition, aimed at developing SAF production plants in the UK, and Birmingham Airport and ZeroAvia are to partner on zero-emission flights.

Heathrow says it is the first airport in the world to offer airlines a contribution towards making the extra cost of purchasing SAF and participants in the scheme include IAG, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Air France, KLM and JetBlue. The airport says it is committed to progressively increasing the SAF used each year, with the aim of reaching 11% of all fuel by 2030. This year, the incentive is expected to save over 81,000 tonnes of CO2.

“Team Heathrow is now probably the biggest user of SAF in the world, but it is currently all imported,” said the airport’s outgoing CEO, John Holland-Kaye. “If Britain really wants to compete with the scale of ambition and the credible action seen from the US and Europe, supportive government policy is needed, and it is needed now.”

Heathrow says the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States, which includes a tax credit scheme, “is designed to lure SAF investors to America and leaving the UK at risk of missing out on the multi-billion-pound industry.” It is calling for a Contracts for Difference price support mechanism to help cut the price premium and for the UK government to make a decision this year on committing into legislation a 10% mandate for SAF use by 2030.

“Delay could mean the UK SAF industry suffers and cannot keep up internationally,” argues Heathrow. “By delivering both, the UK will see an immediate and tangible impact – with investment, jobs and skills seen right across the UK.”

While details of the proposed SAF mandate are due to be published shortly (see article), which will require having at least five commercial-scale plants under construction in the UK by 2025 to meet the mandate’s target, the government has announced five awards under its £165 million ($200m) Advanced Fuel Fund that will allocate funding to support UK advanced fuels projects until March 2025. The grant funding is to be provided to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration scale projects at all development stages up to the start of construction.

With regards to a second application window for the fund, DfT is still considering whether or when further funding windows should proceed. In the event of a second application window, the competition would be open to all eligible projects and not just those already selected.

The five projects receiving funding in the first window are:

• Alfanar Energy (Lighthouse Green Fuels) – £11,001,00
• Fulcrum BioEnergy (NorthPoint) – £16,764,000
• LanzaTech UK (DRAGON) – £24,960,843
• Velocys (Altalto) – £27,000,000
• Velocys (e-Alto) – £2,523,094

Commenting on its award, Fulcrum CEO Eric Pryor said: “We applaud the UK government and the DfT for taking another step towards significantly reducing net carbon emissions for hard-to-abate sectors, including aviation, through the support of low-carbon SAF projects, including our Fulcrum NorthPoint facility. This funding furthers our engineering efforts for the plant and well positions Fulcrum for additional project funding for the facility. We look forward to bringing our patented process, technical expertise, IP and experience from the successful commissioning and initial operations of our first commercial-scale plant [in the US] to the UK to make Fulcrum NorthPoint a success.”

In December, Fulcrum announced the successful production of low-carbon synthetic crude oil from landfill waste at its world’s first commercial-scale waste-to-fuels Sierra BioFuels Plant, located in Nevada. The company’s development programme includes plants in Indiana, Texas and the NorthPoint project in the UK.

In other UK airport news, the government is keen to accelerate decarbonisation of airport operations, which would have the co-benefit of significantly decreasing harmful nitrogen and particulate matter concentrations around airports. The government’s Jet Zero strategy calls for domestic aviation to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 and for all airports in England – other UK countries have devolved powers – to be zero-emission by the same year.

According to a decarbonisation report by the UK Airport Operators Association, over two-thirds of airports in England have a zero emissions target for 2040. However, the DfT notes from responses to its first consultation in 2021 “a mixed feedback” on the target, with comments largely around why airports should be treated differently to other similar infrastructure. Some airports suggested a net zero airport operations target may be more appropriate for 2040, rather than zero emissions. On the other hand, some NGOs, environmental groups and consultancies considered the target could be more ambitious and include Scope 3 indirect emissions that an airport does not control but can influence.

The DfT subsequently commissioned Mott MacDonald to undertake a technical feasibility study to support its understanding of the achievability of the 2040 target. The study’s report, published last May, agreed that it was feasible from a technology and commercial perspective for airports to achieve zero carbon emissions from Scope 1, 2 and 3 airport operations by 2040.

The aim of the second consultation, which closes on May 2, is to clearly define which airport operations are and are not in scope, considering the emission sources and responsible entities. The government is also looking at several policy implementation options to achieve the target: a legislative requirement, a voluntary agreement or a commitment by each airport to produce a roadmap to achieve zero emissions by 2040.

“A key aim will be to guarantee that any approach ensures that the optimum outcome is achieved in terms of emissions reductions under the target, while ensuring unnecessary burden on airport operators and other stakeholders is avoided,” says the DfT.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Birmingham Airport has entered a long-term partnership with hydrogen-electric aviation pioneer ZeroAvia that will aim to make possible regular domestic zero-emission flights “in the coming years”. The airport plans to use an area near to its disused terminal building as a potential location for hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, testing and operations.

ZeroAvia is currently working on bringing to market a zero-emission system capable of flying 20-seat aircraft 300 nautical miles by 2025, making possible green air travel from Birmingham to destinations like Glasgow, Aberdeen, Belfast and Dublin. It is aiming for an emissions-free, 80-seat aircraft flying up to 1,000 nautical miles by 2027, bringing into range Mediterranean holiday destinations.

The airport said the partnership formed an important part of its journey to becoming a net zero airport by 2033, a target it set out in its carbon roadmap published in 2022.

“Birmingham Airport can be a central spoke in a green flight network in the UK, given that any domestic mainland destination will be reachable from the airport using our first systems in 2025,” said Arnab Chatterjee, VP Infrastructure, ZeroAvia. “Given the commitments of the Jet Zero strategy on domestic aviation, it is fantastic to engage with forward thinking airports that want to be early innovators and developers to deliver the vision of bringing truly clean, quiet and pollution-free flights to the UK.”

Responded the airport’s Chief Finance & Sustainability Officer, Simon Richards: “We could, quite conceivably, see the first hydrogen-powered domestic passenger flight taking off from BHX in a few years. That’s mind-blowing.”

Photo: Heathrow Airport

Christopher Surgenor

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Rolls-Royce and European low-cost carrier easyJet have performed the first-ever operation of a prototype aircraft engine powered by green hydrogen. The ground test, conducted at a military aircraft testing site in Boscombe Down, England, was hailed by the companies as “a new aviation milestone” and a major step towards the introduction of zero emission hydrogen propulsion systems for aircraft. The test was conducted using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A engine and followed the recent establishment by Rolls-Royce and easyJet of a partnership to research hydrogen propulsion for aircraft such as the Airbus A320-family of narrowbody jets operated by the airline. The engine test also coincided with other initiatives designed to progress hydrogen-powered aviation. In Hamburg, Lufthansa Technik has just converted a decommissioned A320 to test ground processes for future hydrogen-powered aircraft, while hydrogen propulsion company ZeroAvia has partnered with the UK’s AGS Airports to investigate hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. 

The engine used for the Rolls-Royce and easyJet test was a modified version of a powerplant typically used by high-speed turboprop aircraft, including the SAAB 2000 regional airliner and the Lockheed C130J military transporter. The companies are now planning more rig tests, ahead of a full-scale ground trial using a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine, a new powerplant designed to extend the range of Bombardier Global 5500 and 6500 corporate jets. The longer-term aim is to undertake flight tests and eventually to develop hydrogen engines for larger planes. Green hydrogen for the Boscombe Down test was provided by the European Marine Energy Centre and generated by wind and tidal power at its test facility on Eday, part of the Orkney Islands that lie north of the Scottish mainland.

Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Rolls-Royce, described the engine test as “an incredible start” to the new partnership with easyJet.  “The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone. We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight,” she said.

Johan Lundgren, easyJet’s CEO, said his airline was committed to supporting the research “because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft. That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.”

Both organisations have signed up to the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign that commits them to achieve the net zero carbon emissions target.

In Hamburg, an Airbus A320 operated by Lufthansa for 30 years has been converted into the Hydrogen Aviation Lab (HAL), a mobile laboratory designed to test maintenance and ground handling processes for future aircraft powered by hydrogen. The initiative is a collaboration between Lufthansa Technik, which has converted the jet into a research platform, Hamburg Airport, an early adopter of low-or-no carbon practices, and two major research groups, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Hamburg’s ZAL Centre for Applied Aeronautical Research. It was funded by Hamburg’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation and IFB Hamburg, the city’s investment and development bank.

While this particular jet will never fly again, it will be equipped in coming months with test systems, an internal tank for liquid hydrogen and an onboard fuel cell compatible with ground-based hydrogen infrastructure, to help prepare both airlines and airports for new zero-emission aircraft. The testbed plane will be towed between the Lufthansa Technik base and locations on the airport as part of the study of future ground management processes. Research will include integration of hydrogen fuel systems into existing airport infrastructure, safe and efficient refuelling of aircraft with liquid hydrogen, cooling and insulation of the fuel, and inert storage of hydrogen.

“We’ve enabled a unique project,” said Michael Westhagemann, Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs. “It will make a valuable contribution to enabling the use of hydrogen as a fuel for aviation. The focus on maintenance and refuelling procedures should provide us with insights that will be important for developing hydrogen infrastructure. This real-world lab lets us add a crucial building block to Hamburg’s strategy to make aviation more sustainable. We are following two strategic goals – the development of a hydrogen economy in Hamburg and the decarbonisation of the mobility industries. We are very pleased to make this world-first project possible through the Special Aviation Fund.”

The Hydrogen Aviation Lab jet will also be used for research into predictive maintenance methods for future generations of aircraft, with a ‘digital twin’ of the decommissioned A320 to be used to help predict failures of hydrogen components and systems, and enable timely responses. 

In another research project, aero-hydrogen propulsion pioneer ZeroAvia has partnered with AGS Airports, which owns and operates Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports in the UK, to investigate the development of hydrogen fuel infrastructure, regulatory requirements and resources needed to deliver zero-emission flights. Their focus will be on short-haul hydrogen-powered flights from Aberdeen and Glasgow.

“In recent months, we have stepped up our work with airports significantly to better understand the operational needs and requirements for hydrogen as a fuel,” said Arnab Chatterjee, ZeroAvia’s VP Infrastructure. “Working with the team at AGS allows us to plan for some of the commercial routes that we will be able to support in a little over two years’ time, and to do so in the setting of a major international airport.”

The CEO of AGS Airports, Derek Provan, said the development of hydrogen-propulsion was becoming “an increasingly viable option” for regional and short-haul aircraft. “As a regional airport group serving the highlands and islands of Scotland as well as the Channel Islands from Southampton, AGS will be the perfect testbed for hydrogen flight,” he said. “Through our partnership with ZeroAvia we’ll address some of the challenges associated with the generation, delivery and storage of hydrogen on site, and how we can prepare our infrastructure to support zero emission flights.”

Photo: Ground testing of the converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine

MONTE Aircraft Leasing, a UK-based lessor specialising in zero-emission regional fleets, has announced two new deals which could deliver up to 90 hybrid-electric or hydrogen-electric commuter planes for use by short-haul operators seeking to decarbonise. Through a partnership with US company Ampaire, MONTE will acquire up to 50 Eco Caravans, hybrid-electric upgrades of the Cessna Grand Caravan, which operates as both a passenger plane and a parcel freighter. The lessor has also signed a letter of intent with the UK’s Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to buy 40 modification kits to convert Britten-Norman Islander aircraft from fossil-fuelled piston engines to hydrogen-electric propulsion systems. The Ampaire and Cranfield announcements coincided with the maiden flight of Ampaire’s Eco Caravan prototype. They also extend MONTE’s growing portfolio of suppliers in the zero-emission aerospace sector and agreements with multiple operators to investigate green fleet or propulsion options for short-range flights.

The Ampaire agreement consists of 25 firm orders for Eco Caravans and options to acquire another 25, and is underpinned by a mutual preferred partner agreement, through which Ampaire will provide Eco Caravans to MONTE, and the lessor will become Ampaire’s financing partner for the type.

Compared to the conventionally-powered Cessna Grand Caravan, Ampaire says the Eco Caravan can cut fuel and emissions by up to 70% on shorter journeys and 50% on longer trips, and is “effectively carbon neutral” when also flown with sustainable aviation fuel. The Eco Caravan is also designed to deliver greater range without compromising payload and can recharge its batteries in flight, enabling it to serve any airport to which Caravans now fly, irrespective of ground charging infrastructure.

“MONTE is looking to build a fleet of low-emission and zero-emission aircraft to lease or finance for regional aircraft operators worldwide,” said Timothy Eyre, the company’s Investment Director.  “Ampaire has emerged as the leading hybrid-electric technology provider and its Eco Caravan will be very attractive for a segment of our operators. We are excited to have signed another key technology partnership and are looking forward to working with the Ampaire team to finance the Eco Caravan.”

The lessor has recently signed agreements to explore zero emission options and financing for customers including Cessna Caravan operators such as Costa Rica Green Airways.

Ampaire’s testbed Eco Caravan has just completed its first flight, powered by a fully-integrated hybrid-electric propulsion system. The nine-seat aircraft departed Camarillo Airport, north of Los Angeles, climbed at full power to 3,500 feet, and flew for 33 minutes using a combination of power from its combustion and electric engines.  

“The Eco Caravan is our starting point for a revolution in air travel,” said Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. “It brings cost per available seat mile down to the range of driving, benefiting operators and their passengers. It dramatically shrinks the aircraft’s carbon footprint. The propulsion technology is scalable and we intend to quickly move toward larger regional aircraft and even the single-aisle jet market over time.”

This month, MONTE signed an agreement with Indian regional flybig to provide financing and leasing solutions for the conversion of the airline’s fleet of DHC-6-400 and ATR aircraft to zero emission propulsion technologies. The lessor will also lease two DHC-6-400 aircraft to flybig. Announcing the airline’s #GoGreen initiative, Managing Director Sanjay Mandavia said: “This initiative will not only revolutionise air travel in India, but also reduce the cost of flying with flybig.”

MONTE has also signed a letter of intent with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to buy 40 modification kits to retrofit twin-engine Britten-Norman Islander (BN2) aircraft to hydrogen-electric propulsion systems.

Through its ‘Project Fresson’ initiative, Cranfield is converting a nine-seat BN2 from fossil fuel to gaseous hydrogen, using a fuel cell and electric motor. The company’s initial aim is to achieve certification of the type for passenger service by 2026, and to offer the aircraft as a zero-emission option for short haul flights, with longer term plans to develop new-build 19-seat and 75-seat aircraft. 

MONTE will become Cranfield’s recommended financing partner for the converted BN2 aircraft, while Cranfield will become MONTE’s exclusive provider of the planes.

“We are excited to announce our partnership with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions which allows us to offer converted electric-hydrogen Britten-Norman Islander aircraft to regional turboprop operators,” said MONTE’s Eyre. “This partnership represents another important milestone on our journey to becoming carbon neutral by 2027.” 

Cranfield’s CEO, Paul Hutton, said: “We are delighted to be able to sign this deal with MONTE Aircraft Leasing, a company that we believe shares the same ambitions and values as us. It’s an extremely exciting time for Cranfield Aerospace Solutions as we continue to gain sales momentum in the market.”

The latest deals extend MONTE’s growing list of partnerships with suppliers including the hydrogen propulsion developer ZeroAvia and electric and hydrogen powertrain company Dovetail Electric Aviation. The lessor has ordered 100 ZA600 powertrains from ZeroAvia to convert conventionally-powered regional aircraft including the Cessna Caravan, Dornier 228 and DHC-6 Twin Otter, and another 50 conversion kits from newly-former Euro-Australian company Dovetail Electric Aviation to convert Cessna Caravans to hybrid-electric propulsion and Beech King Air aircraft to hydrogen-electric power.

Photo: MONTE is to explore the conversion of Costa Rica Green Airways’ fleet of Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft to zero-emission propulsion