ZeroAvia completes flight tests
ZeroAvia, the company developing hydrogen-electric aviation for commercial applications, has announced the completion of its initial prototype ZA600 flight testing campaign at Cotswold Airport.

The tenth flight in the initial series was completed last week and saw a cruise test to establish projections for future ranges using the system, thus teeing up the first cross-country flights as the next stage of testing and demonstration.

Over the course of the last six months, ZeroAvia has sequentially tested different areas of performance following the breakthrough, world-first flight of the system in January. The campaign has seen the aircraft fly at 5,000 feet, perform an endurance test at 23 minutes, operate in the wide temperature range from just above freezing to almost 30C, and reach the maximum allowable speed under the Permit to Fly issued by the CAA.

Critically, throughout all phases of testing, the fuel cell power generation and electric propulsion system that are the core components of the zero-emission engine, performed at or above expectations. The hydrogen-electric engine has matched the power of the conventional, fossil fuel engine on the opposite wing, with the pilots able to fly with thrust generated only from the experimental clean propulsion system in certain tests.

ZeroAvia, part of the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council, is targeting a 300-mile range in 9 to 19 seat aircraft by 2025, and up to 700-mile range in 40 to 80 seat aircraft by 2027. The company has already secured pre-orders for nearly 2,000 engines from a number of the major global airlines, with future revenue potential over $10bn. The company says it is on track for commercial operations in 2025.

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