With the goal of powering regional jet aircraft with zero in-flight emissions other than water vapour, American Airlines and clean aviation developer ZeroAvia have announced that they entered into a conditional purchase agreement for 100 hydrogen-electric engines.
Additionally, American has increased its investment in ZeroAvia. American invested in ZeroAvia for the first time in 2022, and it is currently a part of the company’s Series C financing round. The engine agreement follows the Memorandum of Understanding the companies announced in 2022.
With ZeroAvia, commercial aircraft may exhibit nearly zero emissions while in flight by using hydrogen-electric (fuel cell) engines. The company is developing an engine for larger aircraft like the Bombardier CRJ700, which American runs on certain regional routes, and is currently conducting flight testing on a 20-seater prototype.
“Advancing the transition of commercial aviation to a low-carbon future requires investments in promising technologies, including alternate forms of propulsion. This announcement will help accelerate the development of technologies needed to power our industry and uphold our commitment to make American a sustainable airline so we can continue to deliver for customers for decades to come.”
Robert Isom, American Airlines’ CEO.
American’s ambitious goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is aided by the investment and conditional commitment to buy innovative engine technology. With the largest fleet renewal programme in the history of commercial aviation, American has recently improved fuel efficiency and now has the youngest mainline fleet of any major U.S. network carrier. With the completion of an offtake agreement with Infinium, a manufacturer of next-generation low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel, and with becoming the first customer of Graphyte’s ground-breaking and long-term carbon removal method, American has made industry-leading investments in sustainability.
“In signing this purchase agreement and furthering its investment, American is supporting our mission of innovation for clean aircraft propulsion and it is 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.”
Val Miftakhov, ZeroAvia Founder and CEO .
Utilising hydrogen in fuel cells, ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engines provide electricity that power electric motors that operate the propellers of the aircraft. Low-temperature water vapour is the only emission that occurs during flight, and the lower intensity electrical systems have the potential to result in significant cost reductions.
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