ZeroAvia and Birmingham Airport join forces to accelerate zero-emission passenger flight

The two organisations have entered into a long-term partnership to make on-airfield hydrogen refuelling and regular domestic passenger flights of zero-emission aircraft a reality in the coming years.

ZeroAvia is the leader in zero-emission technologies including hydrogen-electric engines for aircraft, with a prototype successfully test-flown at its base in Kemble, Gloucestershire, in January. Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. The only emission is water.

The company is currently working on bringing to market a zero-emission system capable of flying 20-seat aircraft 300 nautical miles by 2025 This opens up the possibility of green air travel from Birmingham to destinations such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Belfast, Isle of Man and Dublin by the middle of this decade.

Meanwhile, in a move that would make zero-emission travel to Mediterranean holiday destinations a reality, ZeroAvia is aiming to get an emissions-free engine for 80-seat aircraft, flying up to 700 nautical miles by 2027, achieving distances of up to 1000 nautical miles soon after.