The idea is that the parties will operate demonstration flights from Rotterdam The Hague Airport to destinations in Europe by the end of 2024 and prepare for commercial passenger flights in 2025.
ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focusing on hydrogen-electric aviation solutions to address a variety of markets. In the coming months, ZeroAvia will make preparations with Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Shell and Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport for the first test flights with a hydrogen aircraft.
"As a foundation supported by Rotterdam The Hague Airport and the Municipality of Rotterdam, RHIA always wants to drive innovation and sustainable aviation developments at RTHA, together with and for a network of partners. RHIA actively collaborates with partners within its DutcH2 Aviation Hub program to develop hydrogen-powered flights from RTHA. This collaboration is one of the projects within the program that helps us create the open-access infrastructure needed by the industry. RHIA is happy to help facilitate this specific partnership and bring the project to life and to lay the foundations for partners within the community".
Last year, the parties already concluded an agreement with each other to enable the first commercial flight on hydrogen / electric. A cooperation agreement was recently signed by the above parties. The idea is that the parties will operate demonstration flights from Rotterdam The Hague Airport to destinations in Europe by the end of 2024 and prepare for commercial passenger flights in 2025.
“Hydrogen is key to decarbonising aviation. This partnership helps us demonstrate and validate new airport infrastructure requirements and operational concepts. And thus accelerate and stimulate the airport transformation towards Zero-Emission".
They also want to make hydrogen available at the airport. The flights will be operated with aircraft with ZA600 engines (hydrogen/electric). zeroAvia. The demonstration flights must go to destinations within a radius of 250 nautical miles (460 kilometers) from Rotterdam.
“This project and partnership is a milestone as it enables rapid decarbonization of a hard-to-electrify sector such as aviation. It also offers the opportunity to support one of the first international zero-emission passenger routes. In addition, it offers the ability to test multi-fuel and multi-modal refueling on the road in a live airport environment. This is a major step forward for hydrogen aviation and for Shell's plans in this area.”
The project also focuses on the development of aviation-specific standards and protocols around safety, refueling and hydrogen management. The parties will cooperate in discussions with potential carriers for the first demonstration and subsequent commercial flights. The goal is to decarbonise the entire aviation ecosystem.
“With this consortium, including Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport and Shell, the ball is moved significantly further down the field towards our goal line of commercial operations. Some of the first passengers on zero-emission flights in the world could fly from Rotterdam. There is still a lot of work to be done, but with clear milestones and objectives, the hard work really starts to deliver the infrastructure and explore the required protocols and standards.”
