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[@Paris Air Show: June 17th, 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Loganair to work towards potential adoption of hydrogen-electric engines to support zero-emission flights.  

ZeroAvia is advancing certification of a 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain for 10-20 seat aircraft with the UK’s CAA. Targeting the Cessna Caravan as the launch airframe, ZeroAvia intends to obtain additional supplemental type certificates (STCs) for other aircraft in this category, including the Twin Otter a popular airframe operated by Loganair to serve communities in the Scottish Highlands & Islands.  

ZeroAvia is concurrently developing the modular ZA2000 engine for 40-80 seat aircraft such as the ATR family of aircraft, with Loganair currently operating more than 20 of these airframes.   

Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity to power electric motors that turn propulsors, with the only byproduct being water. With regional turboprop aircraft operating below typical contrail formation, the in-flight emissions impact is effectively zero.  

Importantly, these novel engines promise cost reductions for airlines. The substantially lower maintenance needs of hydrogen-electric engines will mean a decrease in maintenance and downtime for an airline’s fleet, with hydrogen fuel also projected to be significantly more cost effective than kerosene over time.   

Today’s agreement cements some of ZeroAvia’s growing ties in Scotland. ZeroAvia has been in a longstanding partnership to explore airport hydrogen fuel infrastructure with Glasgow Airport and recently announced plans alongside the First Minister of Scotland to establish its hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing centre close to the airport and Loganair’s headquarters.  

[@Paris Air Show: June 17th, 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced the UK Government has awarded the company and consortium partners a grant towards a £10.8m project to develop a novel liquid hydrogen management system. The project, co-funded through the ATI Programme, will culminate in integration of the lightweight fuel system into a Dornier 228 before a series of flight tests.  

The Liquid Hydrogen System Integration & Flight Test (LH-SIFT) project will rapidly develop a Liquid Hydrogen Management System (LHMS) and create an adaptable flight testbed capability. The testbed capability will benefit UK and global LH2 supply chains in maturing liquid hydrogen technologies faster. 

The LH2 management system developed as part of LH-SIFT is comprised of a novel lightweight metallic tank design and supporting systems for filling and managing storage and distribution. Consortium partners Green Resource Engineering and Gas & Liquid Controls will collaborate with ZeroAvia on fill, feed, vent and vaporiser systems.  

The project will also establish the world’s first liquid hydrogen flying commercial airframe testbed, providing unique opportunities for later projects to develop and test cryogenic aviation fuel system components in flight, building strong UK leadership in this area.  

ZeroAvia is advancing certification of a 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain for 10-20 seat planes using gaseous hydrogen fuel. However, the company is also developing the next generation of fuel cell aircraft engines with its ZA2000 for 40-80 seat aircraft, and supporting other high-power use cases through its component offering. To support these aircraft’s typical missions, it is necessary to transition to liquid hydrogen fuel storage – storing fuel at cryogenic temperatures around -253°C – which enables more energy by volume. In addition to fueling larger aircraft platforms, smaller zero-emissions aircraft can also benefit from using liquid hydrogen to extend their capability. 

[Everett, WA and Kemble, UK: May 21, 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it will build a major manufacturing facility for production of its hydrogen-electric powertrains at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, close to Glasgow Airport in Renfrewshire.  

ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will support the company in a range of manufacturing operations relating to powertrain production and testing and will also be the company’s primary location for production of advanced high temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cell stacks and supporting systems. With nearly 3,000 full engine and component pre-orders agreed with airlines and OEMs – corresponding to over $10 billion in future revenues – ZeroAvia is advancing its production operations to meet demand.  

The new facility will complement ZeroAvia’s Propulsion Center of Excellence in Washington State which is focusing primarily on electric motors and power electronics. The company also has plans to expand its R&D and aircraft testing centre at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire. 

The project in Scotland, which will unlock millions in private investment and support hundreds of jobs over the next few years, has been made possible by a £9m Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Enterprise. This follows an equity investment of £20m from the Scottish National Investment Bank into ZeroAvia as part of the company’s Series C funding, with the UK National Wealth Fund investing £32 million as a cornerstone-level investor in the round. The Series C funding round was led by Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and NEOM Investment Fund.

The UK Government awarded ZeroAvia and consortium partners £10.5 million to develop the advanced HTPEM fuel cells in 2024 via the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme in conjunction with the Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK. The UK Government has awarded ZeroAvia £18.5 million total R&D funding since 2019 to develop their fuel cell and powertrain technology. This support alongside more than $250 million private investment has enabled ZeroAvia to make rapid progress: flying the world’s first hydrogen-electric commercial scale aircraft in 2020, more than doubling the power output to again fly the world’s largest hydrogen-electric aicraft in 2023, manufacturing and shipping fuel cell systems to customers, and securing significant regulatory traction for the certification of its powertrains. 

Scotland First Minister John Swinney and Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray spoke at an event at Glasgow Airport today (Wednesday 21 May) to launch ZeroAvia’s plans for its manufacturing facility at AMIDS. 

[Kemble, UK & Everett, WA, USA: May 13th, 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has signed an agreement with RVL Aviation which will see RVL operate Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft retrofitted with ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric, zero-emission ZA600 powertrain. Flights within the British Isles will commence once certification for the engine, airframe integration and planned services are obtained and all retrofit and training work is complete.   

Analysis performed by RVL and ZeroAvia confirms that the ZA600-enabled Cessna Caravan would meet existing operational requirements while virtually eliminating the climate impact of the operations. There are nearly 1,000 aircraft operating cargo routes around the world today that could in future be powered by ZA600 powertrains.   

This current agreement focuses on one type of aircraft, Cessna Caravan 208B, with RVL working with zero-emission specialist MONTE on the aircraft lease. The partners will explore opportunities to launch further small turboprop operations in the growing RVL network based on the success of the initial operations, as well as expand the technology across its other operations when the technology and operating conditions permit.  

RVL Aviation is a specialist aviation services provider with more than 40 years of experience. The company and its skilled people deliver their expertise to a wide range of Government and private sector organisations, helping to support economic and environmental prosperity agendas. RVL Aviation is headquartered at East Midlands Airport, operating primarily from its hangar and maintenance facility, and its capabilities include airborne survey, aerial surveillance, aerial dispersant services and aircraft charter. 

ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity to power electric motors that turn propulsors, with the only byproduct being water. Analysis suggests that switching to fuel cell propulsion can provide an overall climate impact reduction in the region of 90%.¹ Further, hydrogen-electric propulsion can reduce overall operating costs for carriers due to the lower requirement for maintenance and lower fuel costs in the scaled operations.  

[Everett, WA: March 27, 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with FlightSafety International to develop training resources for pilots and maintenance technicians to support adoption of hydrogen-electric propulsion technologies.  

The two partners aim to develop training resources, such as flight simulators and digital learning platforms, that will prepare the aviation industry for the entry of fuel cell electric aircraft, enabling faster market adoption once the aircraft receives certification.   

The two companies, in dialogue with regulators, will also explore future governance of training for new, clean alternative propulsion technologies.  

Through the flight testing of its 19-seat testbed, ZeroAvia has garnered unique experience in both pilot operations and integration as well as maintenance related to hydrogen-electric aircraft engines. In addition, through its work with more than a dozen airports on planning their future hydrogen usage, and via the in-house development of its own smart hydrogen production and mobile storage and dispensing refueling vehicles, ZeroAvia has a strong body of knowledge around airport ground operations relating to hydrogen.      

FlightSafety International has created and delivered safety-focused aviation training for nearly 75 years. It has worked with virtually every business jet and engine manufacturer to prepare pilots and maintenance technicians for every flight scenario, elevating the safety of the entire industry. 

ZeroAvia recently announced it has received an FAA G-1 issue paper for its 600kW electric propulsion system, and targets the full ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain for entry-in-service within the next two years, before scaling to a multi-megawatt powertrain for large regional aircraft. The company has accrued over 2,000 engine pre-orders from major commercial airlines, including American, United and Alaska Airlines, with American committing to a conditional purchase order in July last year.  

[Everett, WA and Kemble, UK, 26th March 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has been named to both TIME Magazine’s Top Greentech Companies in America and TIME Magazine’s Top Greentech Companies in the World. 

ZeroAvia was ranked the number one greentech company in America by TIME in 2024, and ranks in the top 50 again this year, while ranking 81st in the world list.  

The analysis by TIME, in partnership with data firm  Statista, considered the positive impact, financial strength, and innovation of more than 8,000 companies developing products, services, or technologies to reverse the impact of human activities on the planet. The 250 top companies hail from over 30 countries on six continents. 

ZeroAvia is working closely with regulators on the certification of its ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine for up to 20 seat aircraft and developing a second engine for 40-80 seat regional aircraft. The company has over 2,000 provisional engine orders in place, with operators including American Airlines converting these to firm orders. In addition, last year ZeroAvia launched a component offering to other cleansheet innovators based on its core technologies, recently confirming a first sale of its 600kW electric propulsion system to California-based Jetcruzer.  

Over the past year, ZeroAvia has continued to accumulate significant intellectual property from its R&D activity and was named the winner of the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patents for Humanity Green Energy Award for hydrogen. In-house development in pursuit of its full hydrogen-electric powertrains has led to step-change technologies in hydrogen fuel cell power generation, power electronics and electric motor design for aerospace.  

[Everett, WA – March 25th, 2025] – ZeroAvia today announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to conduct a feasibility study focused on integrating hydrogen propulsion into Cessna Caravan aircraft alongside advanced aircraft automation technology. AFWERX awards aim to address research questions with specific implications for the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).  

ZeroAvia will analyze the potential for developing and delivering an 8,000 lb autonomous aircraft with hydrogen-electric propulsion for reduced engine noise and low thermal signature, thus significantly reducing detectability. Hydrogen fuel cells are a promising technology for improving the range, duration and turnaround time of a range of electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).  

Hydrogen has additional advantages as an aviation fuel as it can be produced at point of refueling given ready supply of electricity and water, which dramatically simplifies fuel logistics – a critical consideration for any defense applications. Finally, hydrogen has the highest energy per unit of weight of any chemical energy source, which allows for potential maximum range of over 2,000 nm (almost 4,000 km) in an autonomous aircraft of this type.  

Reliable Robotics – the California-based specialists in remote operation of aircraft – will support ZeroAvia in exploring relevant autonomous flight systems as part of the study. 

The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and ZeroAvia has started its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. The study will explore the integration potential and operational impacts of strategically important technologies in the shape of autonomy and fuel cells.  

ZeroAvia is advancing certification of a 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain – ZA600, which uses fuel cells to convert hydrogen fuel into electricity to power electric motors – with civil regulators. The planned first airframe is the Cessna Caravan, manufactured by Textron. The company recently announced a significant regulatory milestone after receiving an FAA G-1 issue paper for its 600kW electric propulsion system.  

[Everett, WA: 20th March 2025] — ZeroAvia has appointed former Federal Aviation Administrator Billy Nolen as a Senior Strategy & Regulatory Advisor to the company. A vastly experienced safety expert, airline executive and pilot, Nolen will work with ZeroAvia’s team to expedite the push towards certification of both its 600kW electric propulsion system and its full hydrogen-electric powertrains.

ZeroAvia recently announced a significant regulatory milestone after receiving an FAA G-1 issue paper for its 600kW electric propulsion system. The company is also working to certify its first full hydrogen-electric powertrain – ZA600 – with the UK CAA.

Nolen spent more than a quarter of a century with American Airlines, including as a pilot operating narrowbody and wide-body aircraft. His career as a pilot was followed by roles focused on safety with American, Qantas and Westjet, before he joined the FAA, first as associate administrator for safety, before quickly taking on the role of acting administrator.  

Since departing his role at the FAA in June 2023, Nolen has served as Archer Aviation’s Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer and will continue in this role, splitting his time between both of the two innovative aerospace scale-ups.   

[Everett, WA & Kemble, UK: 11th March 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that its SuperStack Flex highly-customizable LTPEM fuel cell architecture has achieved over 1.0kW/kg specific net power at a full system level, including thermal management system, and has been successfully demonstrated in a 150kW net power configuration for a major customer.  

The industry leading testing results have been made possible thanks to ZeroAvia’s innovative use of additive manufacturing techniques and will expand UAV / VTOL capabilities of the systems, as well as opening new applications in aerospace and other sectors.  

Using selective laser sintering (SLS) powder-bed additive manufacturing processes, ZeroAvia has been able to perform high velocity cycles of design, build and test, and quickly combine typical parts or their functions into new monolithic structures. The key parts in the SuperStack Flex’s balance of plant – Anode, Cathode and Coolant Manifolds, thermal management, humidification and air compression systems – have been reduced from over 200 parts to less than 100, with ~50% weight and volume reductions. Fewer parts mean lighter, more compact, more reliable and less costly systems.   

The ZeroAvia SuperStack Flex is a modular fuel cell power generation platform that can be scaled up or down between 100kW and 600kW net total continuous power applications. The lightweight, aviation optimized balance-of-plant, has been developed as a best-fit approach for many Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) with further potential applicability across aerospace and in marine and ground vehicles.  

As well as its flexibility for different power requirements, the SuperStack Flex design enables separation of the core systems, meaning it can be highly versatile and efficient to integrate into different airframes, overcoming space constraints.  

The flexibility of the SuperStack Flex system enables customers to incorporate the technology and accelerate their R&D on fuel cell powered platforms. ZeroAvia’s focus on certification of its fuel cell engines and its traction with the CAA and FAA, provides confidence to customers working towards regulatory approval of their platforms. 

[Everett, WA: 18th February 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it agreed a deal for the first sale of its 600kW electric propulsion system (EPS) to Jetcruzer International for electric flight testing to hone the design of its Jetcruzer 500E. Delivery of the development unit EPS is expected this spring.  

ZeroAvia has secured well in excess of 2,000 pre-orders for its full hydrogen-electric powertrains from commercial airlines and last year the company launched  a component offering to serve the market for novel electric air transport applications.  

ZeroAvia’s 600kW EPS has just received an FAA G-1 issue paper outlining the basis of certification. The system comprises the company’s proprietary inverter and electric motor technology to deliver a highly efficient electric engine with exceptional fault tolerance and specific power. The 600kW EPS system comprises four ZeroAvia 200kW continuous power bidirectional inverters converting DC power to AC to supply ZeroAvia’s direct drive motor, capable of 2,200 rpm.  

ZeroAvia has opened a 136k sq ft Propulsion Center of Excellence in Everett, WA to produce the electric propulsion systems for its own full hydrogen-electric powertrains and for aircraft OEMs like Jetcruzer.  

Jetcruzer International is developing the Jetcruzer 500E, a six-seat hydrogen-electric aircraft, with an entry-into-service target of 2028, followed by the 1250E in 2030. ZeroAvia’s EPS system will be integrated into flight testing using a redesigned and rebuilt Jetcruzer 500 as a testbed for the new electric aircraft. Originally conceived in the 1990s as a cost-effective air transport solution, the Jetcruzer 500 achieved significant FAA certification milestones but never reached production. Jetcruzer International acquired the intellectual property in 2017 and has since been dedicated to advancing a new era of sustainable aviation. 

The Jetcruzer 500E is set to become one of the first aircraft with a type certificate to successfully fly with an all-electric propulsion system. This collaboration with ZeroAvia underscores Jetcruzer International’s dedication to innovation and environmental responsibility.