ZeroAziva unveils new commercial agreements and exhibits largest display at Farnborough Airshow

In addition to complete hydrogen-electric engines offered for airplane retrofits, ZeroAvia plans to sell various individual components separately, including electric motors, fuel cell systems, and power electronics. It is manufacturing these parts at a factory it opened in Everett, Washington earlier this year.

Since announcing the component line in April, ZeroAvia has seen “quite a bit of demand” for those parts, company founder and CEO Val Miftakhov told AIN. The company is also investing in developing ground infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered flight operations.

ZeroAvia’s order book for engines continues to grow. The company has already accrued nearly 2,000 pre-orders and boasts a backlog worth up to $10 billion. Earlier this month American Airlines agreed to purchase 100 of ZeroAvia’s larger, 2-megawatt ZA2000 hydrogen-electric engines to convert 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets.

ZeroAvia aims to install the first ZA600 powertrain conversion kits under supplemental type certificates beginning in 2025, with larger ZA2000 units following in 2027.

“In December we submitted our engine designs to the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. and the Civil Aviation Administration in the UK, which was a huge milestone because it meant that we and regulators were confident enough in our tests today and designs to accept project,” Miftakhov said.

“Now these are active projects at both regulators so this is first time we're at major airshow with our technology under certification. It's pretty exciting.”

During this week's show, ZeroAvia is holding daily presentations and fireside chats starting at 3:30 p.m. at its stand in Hall 1. On Monday Miftakhov will kick off events with talk on zero-emissions flight technology. Tuesday’s discussions will center on hydrogen fuel ecosystem and operating economics of hydrogen-electric aircraft.

On Wednesday ZeroAvia chief financial officer Georgy Egorov will lead presentation titled “Financing Clean Future Flight”—a topical subject following news that Universal Hydrogen another propulsion system developer ran out money closed business late June.

ZeroAziva end show Thursday discussions around zero-emissions flight routes how hydrogen-electric propulsion technologies might scale larger aircraft.