American Airlines to Purchase 100 Hydrogen-Electric Engines from ZeroAvia
On July 2, 2024, American Airlines[1] announced its commitment to buy 100 hydrogen-electric engines from ZeroAvia[2] to power its regional jet aircraft. ZeroAvia is a clean aviation company, and these new and advanced engines will help American Airlines achieve zero inflight emissions (other than water vapor), and one step closer to its sustainability goals.
American Airlines, ZeroAvia Agreement
The new conditional purchase agreement signed by both parties comes after American Airlines' initial investment in ZeroAvia via a Memorandum of Understanding[3] signed in 2022. By entering into the conditional purchase agreement with ZeroAvia for the new eco-friendly engines, American Airlines is increasing its investment in the company, and showing its dedication to the reduction of carbon emissions.
ZeroAvia's Hydrogen-Electric Engines
ZeroAvia has had these fuel cell-powered hydrogen-electric engines in the works for quite some time.
As well as greatly saving costs, these engines will reduce inflight emissions to almost zero. To generate the electricity needed to turn a commercial plane's propellers, the engines use hydrogen in fuel cells. These electrical systems have a much lower intensity, and the only inflight emissions left will be low-temp water vapor.
American Airlines Sustainability Efforts
The conditional purchase agreement isn't the first step that American Airlines has taken towards both its own efforts at achieving net zero and the country's overall plan of reaching it by 2050.
In an attempt to improve fuel efficiency, American Airlines has massively renewed its fleet over the last few years (more so than any other commercial airliner), and its planes are currently younger than those of any other major U.S. carrier. American Airlines has made several sustainability investments, including the £74 million offtake agreement[4] with low-carbon aviation fuel company, Infinium. It was also the first[5] to take advantage of the carbon removal service offered by Graphyte[6].
American Airlines, ZeroAvia Hydrogen-Electric Engine Agreement
Rober Isom, the CEO of American Airlines, said that entering into this agreement with ZeroAvia will help speed up the company's sustainability plans and efforts, and noted that investing in these new technologies is important to more quickly put them into use, not only for American Airlines, but other airliners too.
Val Miftakho, ZeroAvia's Founder and CEO, is hopeful about the future of clean flight, and stated that signing the purchase agreement with American Airlines shows that ZeroAvia is on the right track to make clean aircraft propulsion mainstream.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Markus Mainka
References
- ^ American Airlines (www.thomasnet.com)
- ^ ZeroAvia (news.aa.com)
- ^ Memorandum of Understanding (news.aa.com)
- ^ offtake agreement (news.aa.com)
- ^ the first (news.aa.com)
- ^ Graphyte (www.graphyte.com)