Hydrogen-electric propulsion to be explored for Airlander 10 hybrid aircraft
NewsNovember 11, 2025
KEMBLE & BEDFORD, United Kingdom. ZeroAvia and Hybrid Air Vehicles signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on developing a hydrogen-electric variant of the Airlander 10 aircraft, the companies announced in a statement.
The Airlander 10 is designed as a hybrid aircraft that combines aerostatic lift, aerodynamic lift, and vectored thrust, with a payload capacity of 10 metric tons and a maximum range of 4,000 nautical miles. The initial version will use four diesel engines to reduce emissions compared with conventional aircraft of similar capacity, while integration of ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric ZA600 powertrain is expected to enable zero-emission flight operations, the statement reads.
ZeroAvia’s 600-kilowatt ZA600 hydrogen-electric system has undergone flight testing on a 19-seat aircraft and is currently being evaluated for certification and integration into multiple fixed-wing platforms, the company says. The Airlander’s large hull volume provides capacity for hydrogen storage, which the companies say makes it well suited for early adoption of hydrogen-fueled technologies.
The partnership will also examine how ZeroAvia’s propulsion system could be applied to future Hybrid Air Vehicles platforms and identify the hydrogen-fueling infrastructure necessary to support planned Airlander 10 operations.
