Sustainable Aviation Goal Set by American Airlines
In an attempt to imprint its name in the history books of green aviation, American Airlines made a conditional purchase of 100 hydrogen-electric engines from ZeroAvia. These are expected to run regional jet aircraft with absolutely zero inflight emissions other than that in water vapour.
American Airlines further noted in the news release that it has increased its investment in ZeroAvia. It is developing hydrogen-electric, or fuel cell, powertrains for commercial aircraft with the promise of near-zero inflight emissions. Its flight is testing a prototype for a 20-seat plane and is designing an engine for bigger aircraft, like a Bombardier CRJ700, which American operates on some regional routes.
“Moving commercial aviation to a low-carbon future will require investment in convincing technologies, but it will also include other forms of drive. This move will accelerate the development of technologies required to power our industry and fulfil our commitment to making American Airlines a sustainable airline so that we can keep delivering for customers far into the future,” said Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines. This statement brings forth that this investment and conditional purchase of new engine technology are aligned with American Airlines’ aggressive goal to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. In the last few years, American Airlines has successfully implemented the largest fleet renewal program in commercial aviation history, which has created the youngest mainline fleet among the major US network carriers and is showing improved fuel efficiency.
American Airlines has made significant investments in sustainability—including entering into an offtake agreement with Infinium, a producer of next-generation low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel—before it goes ahead and becomes the first customer for Graphyte’s leading-edge, permanently removing carbon removal process.
“In signing this purchase agreement and increasing its investment, America is further validating our mission of innovation for clean aircraft propulsion. This is further validation that ZeroAvia is delivering on our technology roadmap. Solutions that can serve the largest airlines are within reach, and the clean future of flight is coming,” said Val Miftakhov, Founder & CEO of ZeroAvia. Hydrogen fuel cell-based engines from ZeroAvia power the propellers with electric motors using hydrogen in a fuel cell to generate electricity. The only emission in-flight is very low-temperature water vapor, and using less-intensive electrical systems adds potential cost savings.
