ZeroAvia gets additional $35 million for zero-emission aircraft

Hydrogen

United KingdomA new $35 million funding round for ZeroAvia’s development of a 2–5MW regional aviation zero-emission powertrain system has been secured as the company moves closer to commercialization of its hydrogen-electric technology.

As part of this round, United Airlines invested in ZeroAvia and expects to order 50 ZA2000-RJ engines, with an additional 50 options. United joins existing investors Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, AP Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Horizons Ventures, Summa Equity, and Shell Ventures in this round, as well as Alaska Air Group, a previously announced new investor. The company has now invested $115 million in total.

ZeroAvia’s hydrogen propulsion technology is expected to be commercially viable in 2024, according to the company. An aircraft with 10–20 seats that can transport passengers, packages, and even farm produce will have a range of 500 miles or more when it is first introduced by the startup company. The 40-80 seat aircraft segment is the focus of this round of funding, which aims to fund turboprops in 2026 and regional jets in 2028. It will also help ZeroAvia expand its presence in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.

ZeroAvia has made significant strides toward its goal of zero-emission aviation over the last few weeks. With this latest round of funding, the company looks to build on its recent commercial successes, which include partnerships with major airlines like Alaska Airlines and Rose Cay, as well as aviation companies like ASL Aviation Holdings and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Regional Jet Division.

ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov also spoke at the UK Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow and the UK Parliament in recent weeks, calling for a focus on the delivery of zero-emission aviation as soon as possible to ensure the industry’s impact on climate change can be addressed. Hydrogen Aviation Summit II, the company’s largest event examining hydrogen’s future in aviation, had just concluded.

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