Photo credit: Joe Nicholson-Alaska Airlines
One of the first announcements from the Paris Air Show involves a Snohomish County firm working to build zero emissions passenger planes.
That word from the City of Light is that ZeroAvia will expand its research and development facility at Everett’s Paine Field, where it’s working on converting a retired Alaska Airlines De Havilland Dash-8 400 into a clean, hydrogen fuel cell-powered airplane.
The hydrogen-powered electric engines would not only eliminate carbon emissions for regional flights, but the engines are said to be considerably quieter. ZeroAvia’s targets are for 20-seat commercial flights by 2025 and up to 80 seats by 2027. They’ve already had a couple of successful flights with smaller planes equipped with the new engines.
The investment in the expansion will come from Washington State’s Economic Development Strategic Reserve Fund. ZeroAvia employs about 30 people at its Paine Field site.
ZeroAvia’s targets are for 20-seat commercial flights by 2025 and up to 80 seats by 2027.
The following is from the Washington State Department of Commerce release:
PARIS AIR SHOW, LE BOURGET, FRANCE, JUNE 19 — Washington State Governor Jay Inslee today joined ZeroAvia CEO and Founder Val Miftakhov at the Paris Air Show to announce an additional investment by the state to support the company’s expansion at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. The facility is the heart of ZeroAvia’s electric propulsion system technology development and recently unveiled a program to retrofit a Dash 8-400 76-seat aircraft with a prototype engine ahead of flight testing that will make this the world’s largest hydrogen-electric aircraft.
ZeroAvia plane
Following a prior state investment for facilities improvements, ZeroAvia rapidly accelerated its presence and now employs approximately 30 people at the site. This additional investment from Washington State’s Economic Development Strategic Reserve Fund will assist improvements at research and development facilities that support both the company’s electric propulsion R&D and the Dash 8 testbed retrofit program. (Photo credit: Joe Nicholson-Alaska Airlines)
“ZeroAvia is a key member of the rapidly growing ecosystem of world-leading innovators located in Washington state who are building the future of sustainable aviation fuels and zero-emission propulsion systems,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “Our low-carbon fuel standard, abundant clean power and generous new tax incentives for low-carbon fuels provide an unmatched base from which to develop and deploy the next generation of renewable solutions to decarbonize the aerospace sector.”
“With the vast array of talented aerospace and electrical engineers, amidst a hub of aerospace industry peers also pushing towards sustainable flight, Everett is a hugely important location for us,” said Val Miftakhov, CEO and founder, ZeroAvia. “The support from Governor Inslee and the Washington Department of Commerce enables us to push forward quickly on our targets for commercial flight of up to 20-seat aircraft by 2025, and up to 80-seat aircraft by 2027. We are tremendously excited about the opportunities this opens up to grow our team and establish world class facilities at Paine Field.”
“By removing barriers and advocating for business success, the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County (EASC) plays a vital role in securing incentives and fostering economic growth. ZeroAvia’s additional expansion in Snohomish County, supported by the Washington State Department of Commerce and Governor Inslee, exemplifies our commitment to innovation, clean energy, and the creation of high-quality jobs,” said Garry Clark, CEO and President, EASC. “Together, we are driving advancements in sustainable aviation and strengthening Snohomish County’s position as a global hub for cutting-edge technology and economic prosperity.”
About ZeroAvia
ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focused on hydrogen-electric aviation as the initially targeting a 300-mile range in 9–19 seat aircraft by 2025, and up to 700-mile range in 40–80 seat aircraft by 2027. Based in the US and the UK, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for its three prototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA, passed significant flight test milestones, secured a number of key partnerships with major aircraft OEMs, secured $10B in pre-orders from a number of the major global airlines, and is on track for commercial operations in 2025. The company’s expanding UK operations are supported by grants from UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, and ZeroAvia is part of the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council. For more, please visit ZeroAvia.com, follow @ZeroAvia on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
