The pandemic has made consumers shift towards other methods of travel due to concerns about sustainability. According to ZeroAvia, a UK and US-based aviation company, the $1.5T (approx €1.25T) aviation market is flying into a sustainability crisis. This is where the company is looking to capitalise on the need for carbon-free transportation options and has formed a partnership with British Airways to achieve its net-zero goal by 2050.
In a recent development, to continue its trajectory toward zero-emission flight, ZeroAvia announced that it is ramping up its 19-seat aircraft programme to decarbonise and revolutionise regional air travel.
ZeroAvia raises additional capital
Besides, the company has also raised an additional £9.3M (approx €10.8M) for its 50+ seat engine development programme from AP Ventures, Alumni Ventures Group, SGH Capital, Agartha and Fund LP. In addition, existing investors also participated in this round, including Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Summa Equity, Shell Ventures, SYSTEMIQ, and Horizons Ventures.
About ZeroAvia
ZeroAvia is a zero-emission aviation company, focused on hydrogen-electric aviation solutions to address a variety of markets, initially targeting 500 mile range in a nine-19-seat aircraft used for commercial passenger transport, cargo, agriculture and more.
Based in the UK and USA, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for two prototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA, passed significant flight test milestones, and is on track for commercial operations in 2024.
The company is expanding its UK operations and is supported by grants from UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK.
Also, ZeroAvia is part of the UK Prime Minister’s Jet Zero Council (JZC). The JZC is a partnership between industry and government to bring together ministers and CEO-level stakeholders, with the aim of delivering zero-emission transatlantic flight within a generation, driving the ambitious delivery of new technologies, and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions.
Accelerating to sustainable aviation
ZeroAvia enables zero emission air travel at scale, starting with 500-mile short-haul trips, at half of today’s cost. The company says its novel zero-emission powertrain has 75 per cent lower fuel and maintenance costs, resulting in up to 50 per cent total trip cost reduction.
The company will utilise two twin-engine 19-seat Dornier 228 aircraft – one in the UK and one in the US, provided respectively by Aurigny and AMC Aviation. Both aircrafts were previously in service for regional flights in the US and UK, demonstrating the opportunity for carbon reduction on existing routes.
ZeroAvia’s 19-seat R&D is part of HyFlyer II, the second ZeroAvia-led project backed by the UK Government to target the development of a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain.
Previously, as part of HyFlyer I, ZeroAvia demonstrated a 250kW powerplant in a six-seat aircraft across three flight test campaigns, achieving all the project’s technical goals, including fuel cell-only cruise flight.
And now, with all the learnings of HyFlyer I, the company will now be utilised in the development of a 600kW 19-seater powerplant in HyFlyer II.
For the 19-seat aircraft, two 600kW units of the company’s hydrogen-electric powertrain will replace the aircraft’s twin engines, along with hydrogen fuel tanks eventually holding 100kg of compressed gaseous hydrogen to support the 500-mile range of the commercial offering in 2024.
Speaking on the development, Val Miftakhov, Founder & CEO at ZeroAvia, says, “We are eager and ready to begin testing our hydrogen-electric powertrain technology on a larger commercial-size aircraft. Various projections indicate that aviation may account for over 25 per cent of human-induced climate effects by 2050. We are on the path to helping reverse that trend, first with our successful six-seater testing and now with the R&D for our 19-seater and the kick-off of our 50+ seat program. Hydrogen is the only practical solution for true climate-neutral flight, and it will become a commercial reality much sooner than many predict.”
ZeroAvia’s new base
The company’s new 30,000-square-foot Kemble facility (UK) will be the base for developing ZeroAvia’s 600kW engine class, and marks a significant investment in and expansion of its UK-based R&D programme.
The company’s Hollister, California, location will assist the UK team with testing and will be responsible for building the second demonstration aircraft for commercialisation of technology in North America.
The company currently employs about 50 people, and looks to double the headcounts to over 100 in the next 12 months across both the US and UK.
Established a legal entity in the Netherlands
Earlier this year, in May, the company, in order to further expand upon partnerships it has established with a Dutch airport group, established a legal entity in the Netherlands.
According to ZeroAvia, “This will enable the company to create opportunities for commercialisation and partnership with airports, airframe manufacturers and/or airlines, within the Netherlands and wider European Union.”
New key hiring
ZeroAvia has also made several key additions to its team, including its new CTO of Propulsion, Dr Youcef Abdelli, formerly Head of Electrical System and Power Electronics at magniX and Principal Electrical & Propulsion System Chief Engineer for Amazon Prime Air.
In addition, a new Regulatory & Safety Advisor, Sir Tim Anderson, also joined the team. He is a former Senior Royal Air Force Officer, inaugural Director-General of the UK Military Aviation Authority, Chief Operating Officer of Flybe Group and Chairman of the UK Airspace Change Organising Group Steering Committee.
And Kenneth Braithwaite, the 77th Secretary of the Navy, a retired US Navy Admiral and a Senior Advisor to Summa Equity and Silicon Valley Bank, will be signing on as a board observer.
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