U.S.-UK advanced air mobility (AAM) startup ZeroAvia has entered into a conditional agreement to supply 20 of its 600-kW ZA-600 hydrogen-electric powertrains to Indian regional operator MEHAIR.
MEHAIR has provided seaplane services in India since 2011, transporting passengers between the mainland and island chains as well as interisland services, most notably to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a large archipelago in the Indian Ocean.
Under the Indian government’s UDAN scheme for regional airport development, MEHAIR plans to begin offering a range of services with amphibious and wheeled aircraft. As such, the carrier has placed an order for 10 Cessna Caravans, which it plans to retrofit with the ZA600. MEHAIR has said it plans to use the incoming aircraft to provide “much-needed last-mile connectivity” to underserved or remote areas.
MEHAIR also said it will “explore a range of options” for the financing, acquisition and retrofit of the engines for its incoming Caravan fleet, including through working with leasing partners such as sustainable aviation lessor MONTE, which it describes as its “preferred” leasing partner for the ZA600.
ZeroAvia and MEHAIR also said they will collaborate on establishing the fuel supply for the carrier’s services across India.
“The rapid increase in demand for flights will be a key driver of economic growth and social and cultural exchange, but clean flight technology will be essential to ensure it does not derail net zero progress,” ZeroAvia Chief Customer Officer James Peck said in a statement. “Hydrogen fuel cell propulsion can offer lower operating costs and zero-emission flight, driving a rapid increase in regional aviation and support dramatic expansion of MEHAIR’s operations.” According to the reports published in aviationweek.com .
The latest orders add to ZeroAvia’s growing conditional backlog, which now stands at more than 2,000 powertrains, the company said.
