ZeroAvia Tests Dornier 228 with Hydrogen-Electric Engine

The test flight is a step forward towards hydrogen-powered commercial flights, ZeroAvia said.

Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 06:36 PM ET

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ZeroAvia's first flight of a 19-seat Dornier 228 retrofitted with ZeroAvia's ZA-600 hydrogen-electric engine. [Courtesy: ZeroAvia]

Key Takeaways:

ZeroAvia successfully completed the world's first flight of a 19-seat Dornier 228 powered by its ZA-600 hydrogen-electric engine, making it the largest aircraft of its kind to fly.
The 10-minute test flight is a key milestone in the HyFlyer II program, aiming to develop a 600kW zero-emission powertrain for aircraft seating up to 19 passengers.
This successful demonstration brings ZeroAvia closer to achieving certification for its hydrogen-electric engine in 2023, accelerating the prospect of true zero-emission commercial flights within a few years.

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A 19-seat Dornier 228 soared over Cotswold Airport (GBA) in Gloucestershire, UK for 10 minutes Thursday, and in doing so became the largest aircraft to be powered by a hydrogen-electric engine, according to hydrogen-electric aircraft manufacturer ZeroAvia.

The test flight of the Dornier 228 retrofitted with ZeroAvia’s ZA-600 hydrogen-electric engine is a cornerstone of the HyFlyer II development program that aims to develop a 600kW powertrain that’s able to support zero-emission flight of aircraft with up to 19 seats. The development project is partially funded by the UK Government’s Aerospace Technology Institute’s (ATI) program.