ZeroAvia Levels Up

ZeroAvia, the hydrogen-electric aviation firm, announced new agreements with companies in the US, UK and India. In a press release on Oct. 26, ZeroAvia announced a partnership with Alaska Air Group to develop a hydrogen-electric powertrain capable of flying 76-seat regional aircraft. The two companies will initially work on outfitting a De Havilland Q400 with ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric propulsion technology. With an eye to converting other aircraft to hydrogen-electric power, Alaska also “secured options for up to 50 kits” from ZeroAvia. Then, on Nov. 9, ZeroAvia announced it had partnered with Hindustan Aeronautics to develop a hydrogen-electric powertrain for the for the Dornier and Hindustan 228, a 19- seat twin-turboprop regional aircraft (concept shown).

On Nov. 9, ZeroAvia announced that it had received a conditional purchase of 250 engines from Rose Cay Partners, a US-based real asset investment platform. Rose Cay intends to acquire existing aircraft and convert them to the hydrogenelectric engines, according to a ZeroAvia press release. Deliveries are expected to begin as early as 2024. If so, it could coincide with the first commercial hydrogen-electric flight between London and Rotterdam The Hague Airport with a 19-seat aircraft. In an Oct. 24 press release, ZeroAvia said that it was collaborating with Royal Schiphol Group and Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport Foundation on the project and are in “advanced partnership talks with airlines” to realize this vision.

Finally, on Dec. 13, United Airlines announced that it would also purchase a stake in ZeroAvia and buy up to 100 of its 2–5 MW hydrogen-electric engines to retrofit the airline’s Mitsubishi CRJ-550 regional aircraft. ZeroAvia said that the investment by United and Alaska closed a $35M round of capital investment in ZeroAvia, bringing total financing for the company to $115M.