American Airlines is investing an undisclosed sum in hydrogen propulsion system developer ZeroAvia and has signaled its intention to add hydrogen-powered aircraft to its fleet. In an August 3 announcement, the major U.S. carrier said that under a memorandum of understanding with the California-based start-up it could order up to 100 of its planned propulsion systems to power regional jets.
ZeroAvia is preparing to start test flights for its 600-kW ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain, which it says could be used to convert a 19-seat aircraft capable of flying up to 300 miles (480 km) and start commercial operations by 2024. The company says it expects its larger, two- to five-megawatt ZA2000 powertrain to be ready for market from 2026 and that it will be able to support aircraft with up to 80 seats on sectors of up to 700 miles (1,100 km). While the ZA600 will run on hydrogen gas, the ZA2000 will use liquid hydrogen.
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