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Alaska Airlines to Pioneer a Hydrogen-Electric Regional Jet Boasting a 500-Mile Range

Alaska Airlines has not only joined ZeroAvia on its journey to developing a pioneering hydrogen-electric regional aircraft, but is also ready to begin converting its entire regional fleet, showing that sustainability doesn’t need to be limited to new jets.
Alaska Airlines plans to convert its regional aircraft fleet, with the help of ZeroAvia's hybrid powertrain 7 photos
Photo: ZeroAvia
ZeroAvia PrototypeZeroAvia PrototypeZeroAvia Collaborates with Alaska AirlinesZeroAvia PrototypeZeroAvia PrototypeZeroAvia Prototype
ZeroAvia has developed a 600 kW hydrogen-electric powertrain and is working on an even more powerful version, the 2,000-5,000 kW powertrain known as ZA2000. This new version would be powerful enough to be used for a future 76-seat regional aircraft, enabling it to travel for over 500 nautical miles.

The company’s plans of officially launching operations for its 600 kW powertrain by 2024, and for the ZA2000 by 2026, seem to be convincing since Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures is one of the top investors. Recently, another big name was added to the list: Alaska Airlines. Its parent company, Alaska Air Group, will collaborate with ZeroAvia for developing its largest powertrain.

The propulsion technology will be integrated on a full-size De Havilland Q400 aircraft, a regional 76-seater, previously operated by an Alaska Airline subsidiary. On the other hand, the manufacturer will also collaborate with aircraft regulators, to make sure that the hybrid aircraft will meet safety and operational requirements.

But the airline won’t stop there. It’s also committed to becoming emissions-free by 2040. One of the first steps toward achieving that goal will be to convert its regional aircraft, by equipping them with the ZeroAvia hydrogen-electric powertrain. The first one will be the Q400, followed by at least 50 more, for which the airline has already secured the conversion kits. This large-scale project will also be supported by infrastructure partners, including Shell.

Earlier this year, ZeroAvia conducted an interesting ground test for its 600 kW powertrain, which successfully pulled a 15-ton hypertruck. Demonstrations for the 2,000 kW powertrain are scheduled for 2022, and will likely be just as interesting as the previous ones.

If things go well, a hybrid-electric regional jet with a 500-mile range will begin operating as soon as 2026.
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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
Otilia Drăgan profile photo

Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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