Fort Worth-based airline industry giant American Airlines has agreed to buy 100 hydrogen-electric engines intended to power regional jet aircraft from clean aviation innovator ZeroAvia. The engines produce zero inflight emissions except for water vapor, the airline said.
“Advancing the transition of commercial aviation to a low-carbon future requires investments in promising technologies, including alternate forms of propulsion,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a statement. “This announcement will help accelerate the development of technologies needed to power our industry and uphold our commitment to make American a sustainable airline so we can continue to deliver for customers for decades to come.”
American also announced it has increased its investment in ZeroAvia, whose U.S. base is in Hollister, Calif.
American Airlines first invested in ZeroAvia in 2022 and participated in its $116 million Series C financing round announced last year. The airline said the engine purchase agreement follows the memorandum of understanding the companies announced in 2022.
Getting to zero emissions by 2050
ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen-electric (fuel cell-powered) engines for commercial aircraft that it said offer the potential for close-to-zero inflight emissions.
American Airlines said ZeroAvia is flight testing a prototype for a 20-seat plane and designing an engine for larger aircraft such as the Bombardier CRJ700, which American operates on certain regional routes.
The airline said that the investment and conditional commitment to buy novel engine technology contribute to its aggressive goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
American Airlines said that in recent years, it has undertaken the most extensive fleet renewal effort in the history of commercial aviation. This currently gives it the youngest mainline fleet of any major U.S. network carrier and improves fuel efficiency.
The airline said it has made industry-leading investments in sustainability, including finalizing an offtake agreement with Infinium, a producer of next-generation low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel, and becoming the first customer of Graphyte’s innovative and permanent carbon removal process.
“In signing this purchase agreement and furthering its investment, American is supporting our mission of innovation for clean aircraft propulsion and it is a good signal that ZeroAvia is delivering on our technology roadmap,” ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Miftakhov said in a statement. “The solutions that can serve the largest airlines are within reach, and the clean future of flight is coming.”
Emitting only water vapor
American Airlines said that ZeroAvia’s 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 inflight emission is low-temperature water vapor, Americans said, and the lower-intensity electrical systems have the potential to offer significant cost savings.
Founded in California, ZeroAvia has teams in Everett, Washington, and the United Kingdom.
The company said it has secured experimental certificates to test its engines in three separate testbed aircraft with the FAA and CAA and has passed significant flight test milestones.
Southwest targeting sustainable aviation fuel
Also on the sustainability front, earlier this year, Dallas-based discount airline Southwest Airlines Co. launched Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to creating more opportunities for Southwest to obtain scalable, sustainable aviation fuel.
In its announcement, Southwest said that sustainable aviation fuel is a critical component in its goal to replace 10% of its total jet fuel consumption with SAF by 2030.
As part of its SARV investment portfolio, Southwest also announced a $30 million investment in LanzaJet Inc., a SAF technology provider and producer with a patented ethanol-to-SAF technology and the world’s first ethanol-to-SAF commercial plant.
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