Engineering news
Hydrogen flight specialist ZeroAvia and Birmingham Airport aim to provide regular zero-emission domestic passenger flights through the partnership, supported by on-airfield hydrogen refuelling.
This week’s announcement follows ZeroAvia’s successful test flight of a prototype aircraft using a hydrogen-electric engine from its base in Kemble, Gloucestershire, in January.
Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. The only emission is water.
The company is working to deliver a zero-emission system capable of flying a 20-seat aircraft 300 nautical miles (556km) by 2025.
Such an aircraft would open up the possibility of green air travel from Birmingham to destinations including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Belfast, the Isle of Man and Dublin.
ZeroAvia is also aiming to develop an emissions-free engine for an 80-seat aircraft capable of flying 700 nautical miles (1,296km) by 2027, enabling flights to some Mediterranean destinations.
Birmingham Airport (BHX) aims to become net zero by 2033, as outlined in its ‘carbon roadmap’, published in 2022. The ZeroAvia partnership will see part of the airfield used for hydrogen refuelling, testing, and operations.
“Birmingham Airport can be a central hub in a green flight network in the UK, given that any domestic mainland destination will be reachable from the airport using our first systems in 2025,” said Arnab Chatterjee, vice-president of infrastructure at ZeroAvia.
“Given the commitments of the Jet Zero Strategy on domestic aviation, it is fantastic to engage with forward-thinking airports that want to be early innovators and developers to deliver the vision of bringing truly clean, quiet and pollution-free flights to the UK.”
Simon Richards, chief finance & sustainability officer at BHX, said: “We are thrilled to partner with ZeroAvia on creating solutions to the main challenge of our generation – protecting the future of our planet. We could, quite conceivably, see the first hydrogen-powered domestic passenger flight taking off from BHX in the UK in the next few years. That’s mind-blowing.”
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.