ZeroAvia and Hybrid Air Vehicles Study Hydrogen-Electric Airship

Hydrogen-electric propulsion pioneer ZeroAvia is working with Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) on the development of a zero-emission Airlander airship. Under a new partnership signed on November 6, the two companies said they will collaborate on an alternatively-propelled variant of HAV’s Airlander 10.

The project will integrate ZeroAvia’s 600kW ZA600 hydrogen-electric propulsion system, which is set to be the company’s first commercial powertrain offering when certified. The partners will also assess future Airlander 10 operations to help define hydrogen fuel infrastructure requirements.

The Airlander is intended to offer a 10-metric-tonne payload and a 4,000 nautical mile range and its developers claim its four diesel-powered combustion engines will provide an emissions reduction of up to 90% compared with aircraft of comparable capacity. However, HAV believes that Airlander also “represents an excellent option for adopting the first generation of certified hydrogen technologies that are already close to market entry” including “electric propulsion systems that are well advanced in the certification journey.”

HAV says the 300 foot long aerostatic vessel has ample space for hydrogen storage in its hull. Although series production of the airframe has not yet started, Airlander has previously conducted flight testing using conventional engines.  

ZA600’s integration into the Airlander will mark the latest aircraft the propulsion system is being applied to. Alongside ongoing flight testing onboard ZeroAvia’s Dornier 228, the company is targeting the Cessna Caravan as the first commercial retrofit candidate for the system. ZeroAvia says it is now ground testing its final design for certification.

Both companies also share a footprint that spans the U.S. and the U.K. California-based ZeroAvia’s largest subsidiary (ZeroAvia Ltd) is based in Kemble, Gloucestershire, from where its Dorner 228 flight testing activities are conducted. Doncaster-based HAV also announced it had established a U.S. subsidiary in July 2025.

Last week, the European Union Innovation Fund awarded ZeroAvia a €21.4 million ($24.6 million) grant to support plans to introduce zero-emission aircraft in Norway. This initiative will support the retrofit of 15 Cessna Grand Caravan airframes alongside the establishment of the necessary hydrogen ground infrastructure. The company will now work with airports and authorities under the newly-formed Project ODIN (Operations to Decarbonize Interconnectivity in Norway).