Air New Zealand (Air NZ) said on Wednesday it has partnered with four aircraft manufacturers to develop zero-emission demonstration flights by 2026 using electric, green hydrogen and hybrid technologies. The airline said it will work with Eviation, Beta, VoltAero and Cranfield Aerospace to sign a letter of intent to order, with the goal of acquiring three aircraft initially, with additional options for 20 from one or more partners.
Air NZ has also partnered with refueling infrastructure company Hiringa Energy to further understand the infrastructure required to run the aircraft on green hydrogen. The global aviation industry is counting on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) consumption to grow to help meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Air NZ chief executive Greg Foran said the partnership would “pave the way for our long-term partners to deliver an aircraft that can replace our domestic Q300 turboprop fleet”.
Last September, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus SE to research the impact of hydrogen aircraft on Air New Zealand’s network, operations and infrastructure. “While zero-emission aircraft technology will help decarbonise the airline’s domestic network in the period to 2050, SAF is important for the long-haul fleet in the near term,” Foran said.
