The collaboration will leverage ZeroAvia’s hydrogen fuel cell powertrain technology as well as MHIRJ’s aircraft design to create a new solution that not only has the potential to deliver new aircraft, but also to retrofit existing aircraft in market.

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ZeroAvia has said that the agreement marks a crucial step for the company’s progress and entry into a wider market.

MHIRJ will support ZeroAvia by providing engineering services in support of the certification of the engines to PART 33 for aircraft as well as assisting on an advisory service that will evaluate the feasibility of a green retrofit programme.

Val Miftakhov, CEO, ZeroAvia, said,​ “We believe that in the future almost every aircraft in the world will be powered by hydrogen-electric engines, simply because it is the most viable and scalable method for eliminating carbon and also to cut the other harmful emissions from the aviation sector.

“This collaboration with MHIRJ is a significant milestone for us and the aviation industry as a whole. We are honoured to work with MHIRJ to introduce hydrogen-electric propulsion technology into the regional jet segment and demonstrate the myriad of cost and emissions benefits airlines can derive from hydrogen fuelled flight.”

Hiro Yamamoto, President and CEO of MHI RJ Aviation Group, said,​ “Developing aviation solutions for the future requires a re-assessment of their environmental impact and developing new technologies to ensure that aviation lives up to the commitments required to meet carbon reduction targets.

“At MHIRJ we are working with propulsion innovators to ensure that we are at the forefront of such developments and can design solutions to move the world forward.

“Regional aircraft are key to keeping smaller communities and regions connected and are also more able to exploit the new technologies on the horizon than larger aircraft and, therefore this is a logical place for this development to begin and we are proud to be a part of this innovative solution.”