ZeroAvia and Shell team up for hydrogen-powered demo flights to and from Rotterdam

Hydrogen-electric aircraft maker ZeroAvia and Shell have joined forces to operate demonstration flights using gaseous hydrogen to and from Rotterdam. The first demo flight is to take off by the end of 2024.

For this decarbonisation initiative that involves creating a concept of operations for hydrogen in airports, the two parties team up with Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Rotterdam the Hague Innovation Airport. After the demo flight phase, commercial passenger flights on hydrogen-powered ZeroAvia planes may be offered by 2025.

AirportTechnology reports that the partners will first focus on operation at the airport, developing on-the-ground infrastructure for storage and distribution of hydrogen for aviation.

Powered by gaseous hydrogen, ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric, zero-emission ZA600 engines, can fly routes to European airports within 250 nautical mile radius of Rotterdam for the demonstration flights. ZeroAvia already proved the feasibility of such flights by performing a demonstration flight of a 19-seater plane, driven by the prototype ZA600 engine.