Aircraft company ZeroAvia who are developing an aircraft designed to be carbon neutral is opening a facility at Cotswold Airport in Kemble as a base for developing the HyFlyer II, a fully hydrogen electric powered aircraft which solely emits water vapour during flight.
The HyFlyer II will put the UK at the forefront of global efforts to decarbonise aviation as part of the United Kingdom’s 2050 net zero strategy.
The company’s European vice-president Sergey Kiselev said: “We were very impressed with what Cotswold Airport, local talent and support can offer the company as a base for the delivery of the HyFlyer II project.
“It’s a beautiful part of the country and we’re looking forward to seeing more of it from the air as we take zero emission aviation towards commercial adoption with this project.”
ZeroAvia, who are looking to create 30 new roles in the coming months, secured a government grant of £12.3million through the Aerospace Technology Institute following the world’s first short flight of a commercial-grade six-seater hydrogen-electric aircraft in September. The goal for the company is commercial 500-mile trips which is the equivalent of a round trip from London to Edinburgh by 2023.
ZeroAvia have selected Cotswold Airport as its new location due to its long runway, hangar space facilities, robust infrastructure and flexible approach.
Cotswold Airport CEO Suzannah Harvey said: “We are thrilled to welcome ZeroAvia to Cotswold Airport, this alliance will not only spearhead a stratospheric leap in carbon-neutral commercial travel, but also could go a long way in tackling the global climate crisis.
“ZeroAvia is a huge asset to Cotswold Airport and the region and we will be working with them to attain carbon neutral status at the airport over the next 10 years.”
The Inward Investment team at GFirst LEP – created in 2019 through collaborative funding from the European Regional Development fund and Gloucestershire’s local authorities to attract foreign investment to the region – and Cotswold District Council are supporting Zeroavia.
Head of Inward Investment Chris Lau said: “ZeroAvia’s investment is a testament to Gloucestershire’s strong expertise and track record in the aerospace sector.
“We look forward to supporting ZeroAvia in creating highly skilled engineering jobs while spearheading innovation in clean growth and future air travel technology.”
Simon has been writing aviation articles for nearly 10 years and is the senior article writer at Fresh Aviation, with a background in aviation and a commercial pilot Simon knows his stuff in the aviation world. Simon has spoken on BBC Radio, contributed to Bristol Post and has various aviation articles on various websites.