Air New Zealand to develop zero-emission demonstrator planes with partners

(Reuters) – Air New Zealand (Air NZ) said on Wednesday it had partnered with four aircraft makers to develop zero-emission demonstrator flights by 2026, using electric, green hydrogen and hybrid technologies.

The airline said it will work with Eviation, Beta, VoltAero and Cranfield Aerospace and sign a statement of intent to order, aiming to acquire three aircraft initially, with further options for 20, from one or more partners.

Air NZ also joined hands with refueling infrastructure company Hiringa Energy to further understand the infrastructure needed to fly a green-hydrogen aircraft.

The global airline industry is relying on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) usage to rise to help meet its goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Air NZ Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said the partnerships “will pave the way for our long-term partners to deliver an aircraft that can replace our Q300 turbo prop domestic fleet”.

Last year September, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus SE to research the impact hydrogen planes would have on Air New Zealand’s network, operations and infrastructure.

“While zero emissions aircraft technology will help decarbonise the airline’s domestic network over the period to 2050, SAF is important in the near term for the long-haul fleet,” Foran said.

(Reporting by Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)