ZeroAvia Conducts UK's First Commercial-Scale Electric Flight

by Startacus Admin

First electric-powered flight of commercial-scale aircraft from a UK airfield takes place...

Innovative news for the aviation industry with the announcement that ZeroAvia, the leading innovator in decarbonising commercial aviation have conducted the first ever electric-powered flight of a commercial-scale aircraft carried out in the UK.

Yesterday’s test flight from Cranfield Airport is a significant milestone both for the UK's net zero and green aviation ambitions, and for ZeroAvia on the journey to demonstrating long-distance zero emission flights in large aircraft.

ZeroAvia is focused on developing a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. Hydrogen-electric offers the same zero-emission potential of battery-electric, but has a much more promising energy-to-weight ratio, making it viable for commercial operations at a much larger scale and in a shorter time frame.

The company plans commercially relevant, certified 10-20 seat configurations ready to go within three years, and 50-100 seat configurations in flight by the end of the decade. It projects that aircraft over 200 seats with a range in excess of 3,000 nautical miles is achievable by 2040 without requiring any fundamental scientific breakthroughs.

ZeroAvia's innovation programme in the UK is part of the UK Government-backed Project HyFlyer. Funded through Innovate UK and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI)-led Aerospace R&T programme, Project HyFlyer aims to decarbonise medium-range small passenger aircraft by demonstrating powertrain technology to replace conventional engines in propeller aircraft.

In spite of the challenges presented by the lockdown, and thanks to the support by the Airport's Operations team, Cranfield University, and Cranfield Aerospace, the HyFlyer project has made big strides in progressing the programme with minimal delays.

"This flight is the latest in a series of milestones that moves the possibility of zero emission flight closer to reality," said Val Miftakhov, ZeroAvia Founder and CEO. "We all want the aviation industry to come back after the pandemic on a firm footing to be able to move to a net zero future, with a green recovery”.

"The ATI is delighted to see the first flight of ZeroAvia's battery-electric aircraft at Cranfield," said Dr Simon Weeks, Chief Technology Officer, ATI. "This exciting ATI funded project is the next step in an effort to develop a commercial zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell powered commercial aircraft in the UK."

We’ll be keeping our eyes on this innovative startup and what happens next with Project HyFlyer!

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Published on: 23rd June 2020