ZeroAvia, KLM to Partner for Hydrogen-Powered Test Flight
The sustainable aviation startup reveals at the Farnborough International Airshow that it will team with the Dutch flag carrier to attempt a future test flight.
Sustainable aviation startup ZeroAvia has revealed that it will be partnering with KLM to attempt a test flight. [Courtesy: ZeroAvia]
FARNBOROUGH, England—Wednesday was the third day of the Farnborough International Airshow here in the U.K. and a relatively quiet one due to there being no aircraft orders scheduled.
While the commercial news was quiet, the airshow was far from it, with crowds everywhere.
On Wednesday, Sustainable aviation startup ZeroAvia revealed that it will be partnering with Dutch flag carrier KLM to attempt a test flight. This would be a flight using liquid hydrogen as fuel between two cities.
As for the timing for when such a test flight could take place, ZeroAvia founder and CEO Valery Miftakhov said that the partners are initially looking at 2026 at the latest.
Asked what kind of aircraft would be used for the test, Miftakhov said that he could not specify but that it would be similar in size to the ATR 72 or DeHaveland Canada DHC-8.
At the moment, ZeroAvia is steadily making progress, having successfully produced multiple turboprop engine variants. These have been fitted to aircraft such as the DHC-8 and Dornier 228.
Thai Airways Extends Agreement to Maintain Boeing 777 Fleet
Thai Airways signed a deal with General Electric (GE Aerospace) to continue to maintain its Boeing 777 fleet. The service provided by GE Aerospace is dubbed the “TrueChoice” service, which includes maintaining, repairing, and overhauling the Thai Airways GE90 fleet.
Thai Airways remains a loyal customer of GE Aerospace, having used the GEnx on its Boeing 787 fleet expansion and equipping its fleet of Airbus A321neos with CFM LEAP engines.
The Thai flag carrier’s CEO, Chai Eamsiri, said that GE Aerospace “continues to prove itself as the right maintenance provider for our GE90 engines. This agreement extension ensures comprehensive coverage for our engines well into the future.”
Airbus Makes First Aircraft Lessor Partnership of ZEROe Program
Airbus has revealed that it will be partnering with Avolon in order to study Hydrogen-powered aircraft and reduce emissions in the aviation industry. This is the first partnership with an active lessor in the project’s history.
The European aviation manufacturer’s environmentally friendly project includes four concept aircraft, with all four carrying under 200 passengers. Its main goal is to make the first hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035 and then start selling these commercially.
At the moment, progress is heavily underway, with other partners, including London Gatwick Airport (EGKK) for infrastructure, easyJet, and Air Products, the world’s biggest supplier of hydrogen.
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.
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