American Airlines is charting a pathway for a cleaner aviation industry with the help of Zero Avia, a hydrogen-electric aircraft developer. 

American first partnered with Zero Avia in 2022 with a memorandum of understanding (MOU)  to purchase engines from ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrain development program. The airline recently fulfilled the MOU by ordering 100 hydrogen-electric engines from ZeroAvia to power regional jet aircraft. 

>>>READ: Can this Green Aviation Startup Deliver Truly Clean Flying?

“In signing this purchase agreement and furthering its investment, American is supporting our mission of innovation for clean aircraft propulsion and it is a good signal that ZeroAvia is delivering on our technology roadmap,” stated ZeroAvia Founder and CEO Val Miftakhov. “The solutions that can serve the largest airlines are within reach, and the clean future of flight is coming.”

ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engines are powered by hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity, which then powers electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. Traditional jet fuel uses a combustion process when powering an aircraft, resulting in exhaust gasses that propel the aircraft forward. In comparison, the only byproduct from ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engines is water. 

The hydrogen-electric process is also more efficient than battery storage. According to ZeroAvia, hydrogen is 100 times more energy-dense than the electric batteries on the market today, while hydrogen fuel cells are nearly 3  times as efficient as traditional jet fuel. Due to the lower temperatures, fuel cell engines will also have less wear and tear than engines running on traditional jet fuel. All of these factors add up to operational savings for airlines that choose to adopt hydrogen-electric engines. 

Operational costs are climbing in the airline industry. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines together spent more than $2.2 billion on maintenance in the third quarter of 2023, a 45 percent increase from the third quarter of 2019. According to the International Air Transport Association, airlines across the globe spent more than 10 percent of total revenue on maintenance, repair, and overhaul in 2022 while simultaneously facing rising jet fuel costs. If hydrogen-electric engines are more efficient and can drive cost savings for the airline industry, more airlines might look to invest in converting to these engines to reduce operating costs. 

>>>READ: H2 to the Rescue: How Hydrogen May Soon Power Disaster Relief

ZeroAvia expects that these hydrogen-electric engines could be ready as early as next year. To date, these engines have been tested in propeller aircraft. However, American Airlines plans to use the engines to power 100 of the 140 planes in the airline’s Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet fleet, which currently uses turbofan jet engines. 

The partnership between American Airlines and ZeroAvia signals a turning point in clean aviation. Only time will tell if these engines will be successful and economically viable in powering small regional jets. If they are, hydrogen-electric engines could be a revolutionary development in the fight against climate change.

Kelvey Vander Hart is a native Iowan, a member of the American Conservation Coalition, and a communications specialist at Reason Foundation.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.