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British Airways has invested in and formed a partnership with ZeroAvia. Through this joint effort funded by the Hangar 51 incubator program and grants from the UK government, the airline plans to achieve zero-emissions flights by 2050.
In late 2020, ZeroAvia completed the HyFlyer I project, the world’s first hydrogen-electric powered flight with a 6-seat Piper Malibu M350 aircraft at its R&D facility in Cranfield, England. The company is currently working on the HyFlyer II that will seat between 10-20 passengers and travel up to 500 miles without needing to refuel.
The test flight successfully completed taxi, take-off, full pattern circuit, and landing at Cranfield Airport. When the flight made international news, British Airways’ parent company, IAG, decided the two companies should form a partnership through the Hangar 51 accelerator.
IAG and British Airways’ Commitment to a Future of Sustainable Air Travel
The Hangar 51 accelerator and incubator program works with start-ups and later-stage companies looking to scale, and companies are selected based on their ability to solve major business problems. After each round, the participants share their research and findings then determine how any partnerships formed will proceed in the longer term.
The airline industry is looking to move away from fossil fuels and reduce fuel and maintenance costs over the long term, especially since bouncing back from the pandemic will be a challenge on several levels. ZeroAvia is poised to solve this problem by commercializing its hydrogen-electric fuel cell technology. To scale operations to the level needed to make hydrogen-electric flights available internationally and able to fly longer distances, additional investment is required—along with strategic partnerships that are equally invested in bringing zero-carbon flights to the market.
British Airways setting a goal of attaining zero emissions by 2050, and a mix of long-haul and short-haul flights out of…