Air New Zealand and global aviation giant Airbus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to analyse hydrogen aircraft’s impact on its network, operations, and infrastructure.
Air New Zealand aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, while Airbus aims to develop a zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.
Airbus has a project called ZEROe which looks to use hydrogen propulsion for turboprop, turbofan and blended-wing body aircraft. They would be powered by hydrogen combustion through modified gas turbine engines.
New Zealand could become a world leader in adopting zero-emissions aircraft, given the country’s commitment to renewable energy, which could be used to generate green hydrogen and power the airline’s regional air network.
