The world’s first hydrogen-powered airplane takes flight

by Brett Strizich

The British/American company ZeroAvia has created an airplane that runs entirely on hydrogen, making it the first clean energy aircraft of its kind, according to Inhabitat. ZeroAvia’s goal is to replace standard fossil fuel combustion engines with clean energy solutions that will lower the impact of the commercial flight industry on the carbon levels in the atmosphere. 

Airplanes with conventional combustion engines make up a large share of global carbon emissions. The commercial airplane industry is currently responsible for about 10% of annual emissions and that number is expected to rise to 50% by 2050. To add to the problem, due to the altitude at which they operate, the emissions from jet engines have a disproportionately larger impact on greenhouse gas levels. 

The technology in ZeroAvia’s new clean energy power train has the potential to reduce annual global emissions by as much as 50% by the end of the century. Through their innovation, zero-emission aviation is now not only possible but gaining traction.