Hydrogen aircraft developer ZeroAvia has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with British aerospace company Hybrid Air Vehicles to develop a zero emission, hydrogen-powered version of the Airlander 10.
In a statement, published on November 10, 2025, ZeroAvia announced that the hydrogen-electric Airlander will have “unparalleled range and capacity” for an electric aircraft.
“Airlander is another exciting airframe for line-fit of our powertrains as it can open up a whole new market in air travel due to its range, efficiency and ability to operate from almost anywhere,” said Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO of ZeroAvia.
Airlander 10 is a new type of hybrid aircraft that uses a combination of aerostatic lift, aerodynamic lift, and vectored thrust, with a 10-tonne payload and 4,000 nautical mile maximum range.
The two companies will investigate the possibility of equipping the Airlander 10 with four of ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric ZA600 powertrains, achieving an emissions reduction of up to 90% compared to similar capacity aircraft.
ZeroAvia claims that this integration could enable full zero-emission flights carrying more than 100 passengers, as well as reduced maintenance costs.
The company said that its first generation 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain, ZA600, has already passed several regulatory milestones, secured hundreds of pre-orders and signed up launch customer airlines who are working to embed the system into more traditional fixed-wing aircraft for lower cost and more environmentally friendly flight.
On January 19, 2023, ZeroAvia completed the first 35-minute flight of a Dornier 228 prototype using its ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine.
This flight was part of a series of tests to evaluate and confirm the company’s hydrogen-electric technology before certification. The program is ongoing with several test flights as ZeroAvia aims for commercial certification by 2025.
On November 10, 2025, ZeroAvia secured a €21.4 million EU grant to retrofit 15 Cessna Caravans with hydrogen-electric engines and build supporting airport fuel infrastructure, with operations planned for 2028.
To date, ZeroAvia has submitted its first complete engine for certification for planes with up to 20 seats and is developing a larger powertrain for aircraft with 40 to 80 seats.
