FutureFlight
New Funding Backs ZeroAvia's Plans for Hydrogen-Powered Regional Airliners
The company—which says it can get a 50-seat aircraft into commercial service in 2026, followed by a 100-seater in 2030—is competing with Universal Hydrogen to pioneer hydrogen power adoption in the airline sector.
ZeroAvia 50-seater
ZeroAvia's planned hydrogen-powered 50-seat regional airliner bears a resemblance to the existing ATR42 aircraft. (Image: ZeroAvia)

ZeroAvia today disclosed plans to develop a 50-seat airliner powered by hydrogen with the work to be supported by $24.3 million in new capital. New investors in the California-based startup include British Airways, with the latest funding round led by Horizons Ventures and existing backers Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Summa Equity, Shell Ventures, and Systemiq.

According to ZeroAvia, which has now raised nearly $74 million, including $53 million in private investment and a UK government grant of around $16.3 million, it is aiming to get a 50-seat aircraft into commercial service by 2026, using its 2 MW powerplant to convert existing regional airliners such as the ATR42 and the Bombardier Dash 8. It believes that by 2030, a 100-seat airliner could run on a more powerful version of the technology.