ZeroAvia announces new orders for electric aircraft propulsions

ZeroAvia, a company specialising in electric aircraft propulsion, has announced new orders from three different customers. Under the agreements, ZeroAvia will deliver at least 350 hydrogen-electric power trains.

The first customer is Flyshare. The LA-based company has ordered 250 ZA2000 hydrogen-electric powertrains and will offer a “sustainable regional air service” on the US West Coast named Air Cahana. The airline will initially use other sustainable technologies, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and will switch to zero-emission as the technologies come to market.

According to ZeroAvia, the two companies will “collaborate on identifying the roll-out for hydrogen-electric aircraft, enhancing the prospects of zero-emission commercial flights between metropolitan areas on the West Coast of the US and beyond within the next five years”.

The French rental company Green Aerolease also announced that it would use the hydrogen-powered ZA600 in the future. In this case, it is not certain how many were ordered. ZeroAvia simply says that the two companies have “signed an agreement”.

The hydrogen-electric powertrains will be used to retrofit planes for the French airline Finistair. The 600 kW engine is designed for an aircraft with 9 to 19 seats and offers a range of 300 nautical miles (about 556 kilometres). It should come to market in 2025. From then on, the airline could provide zero-emission flights. France recently banned short-haul domestic flights between cities connected by a train journey of less than 2.5 hours.

Meanwhile, ZeroAvia’s agreement signed last year with Monte Aircraft Leasing for the supply of up to 100 ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrains has been converted into a purchase contract. As mentioned above, the technology should come to market in 2025. The first test flight was completed at the beginning of this year.

zeroavia.com (Flyshare), zeroavia.com (Green Aerolease), zeroavia.com (Monte)