ZeroAvia announced this week it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with FEAM Aero for the retrofit, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), as well as technical support, of its hydrogen-electric engines, reports a press release.
ZeroAvia’s first engine design for 9–19 seat aircraft is already subject for a certification application to regulators, and with thousands of powertrain pre-orders in place, “the company is preparing a network that can support operators in converting their fleets to zero-emission propulsion systems and then provide the required maintenance support,” explains the release.
As part of the MOU, the parties will investigate how FEAM Aero’s 50+ locations can support MRO services for operators leveraging ZeroAvia’s technology. FEAM already actively services fleets relevant to ZeroAvia’s second powertrain design for 30–90 seat aircraft, including Dash 8 and CRJ aircraft.
As another aspect of the agreement, FEAM will explore establishing a green hydrogen production facility at one of its locations in the U.S in collaboration with ZeroAvia, enabling the support of early retrofit, testing and training.
FEAM Aero
James Peck, Chief Customer Officer of ZeroAvia, commented, “Fuel cell and electric propulsion systems will keep aircraft flying longer, but the improved economics and greatly reduced environmental impact also means there’ll be more flying. So there is a big opportunity for MRO providers in this transition.”
He continued, “ZeroAvia needs to partner and build a network that can support our customers, who are already planning their switch away from combustion engines and FEAM Aero has an exceptional track record of service and an uncompromising focus on safety and quality, as well as strong alignment with ZeroAvia’s values.”
Dan Allawat, Chief Strategy Officer, FEAM Aero, added, “ZeroAvia is a leading innovator in clean aviation that is rapidly advancing towards certification for a system that can solve some of these challenges, so we’re excited to explore what this means for MRO and training in the years to come.”
Background
During the last 15 months, ZeroAvia has been flight testing a prototype of its ZA600 engine aboard a Dornier 228 aircraft at its UK base in Kemble, Gloucestershire.
With a primary focus on developing hydrogen-electric (fuel cell-powered) engines, ZeroAvia has submitted its first powertrain for up to 20 seat planes for certification with a target of the end of 2025 and is working on a larger powertrain for 30–90 seat aircraft by 2027.
It has secured experimental certificates to test its engines in three separate testbed aircraft with the FAA and CAA and passed significant flight trial milestones.
James Peck
The company has signed a number of key engineering partnerships with major aircraft OEMs and has nearly 2,000 pre-orders for engines from a number of the major global airlines, with future revenue potential over USD10 billion.
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