EasyJet has approved plans to develop liquid hydrogen-powered mid-size aircraft in the future, enabling carbon-free flying.

The Aerospace Technology Unit revealed a prototype plane capable of carrying 279 passengers halfway around the world without stopping on Monday as part of the government-funded FlyZero initiative.

Since 2019, the UK’s budget airline has been collaborating with Airbus to accelerate the construction of a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035.

It regards hydrogen-powered aircraft as critical to its decarbonisation strategy.

The airline recently joined the United Nations-backed ‘Race to Zero,’ vowing to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and setting a science-based interim objective of zero emissions by 2035.

Debbie Thomas, a pilot and first officer stationed in Bristol, has been assigned to the FlyZero project on a temporary basis.

She will use her engineering knowledge and flying experience to collaborate with the project’s 100 aviation and aerospace professionals to design zero-carbon aircraft and conduct research on zero-carbon solutions.