Ravn Alaska has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ZeroAvia to retrofit 30 ZA2000 hydrogen-electric engines into its fleet of Dash 8 turboprops.
“We intend to be in the forefront of adopting zero-emission aviation once FAA-approved technology are commercially available. ZeroAvia is making significant progress towards bringing hydrogen-electric propulsion to the skies of Alaska, and we look forward to collaborating with them to accomplish green flying “President and CEO Rob McKinney stated.
The ZA2000 is a 2-5 megawatt powerplant developed for turboprop aircraft with 40-90 seats. ZeroAvia anticipates achieving a range greater than 500 nautical miles (926 kilometers) and releasing the engine in 2026.
The ch-aviation fleets advanced module reveals that Northern Pacific Airways, Inc., doing business as Ravn Alaska, operates ten DHC-8-100s and one DHC-8-300. The airline and ZeroAvia emphasized that Alaska is well-suited to be an early adopter of hydrogen-electric technology due to the state’s reliance on interstate air transport on a range of vital but exceedingly thin routes.
United Airlines, Alaska Air Group, and British Airways are equity shareholders of ZeroAvia. ASL Aviation Holdings has also shown interest in the manufacturer’s emission-free propulsion systems.
