Hydrogen propulsion startup ZeroAvia has set its sights on the air cargo market.
On May 13, 2025, ZeroAvia announced that it has signed an agreement with RVL Aviation, a provider of specialized air services based at East Midlands Airport (EMA), in the United Kingdom, to retrofit one of the latter’s Cessna Caravan 208B aircraft with a ZA600 powertrain.
The aircraft will then be used on air cargo services across the British Isles.
With this move, ZeroAvia aims to become the first in the world to launch a zero-emission air cargo commercial service.
MONTE, a UK-based aircraft leasing company specializing in regional and sustainable aviation, is also involved in the deal, facilitating the obtention of the Cessna Caravan aircraft.
“We have the engine design; we have the integration plans for the launch airframe; we have the solutions to provide the hydrogen fuel; and we have the customers wanting to operate the first routes. We now need to double our attention on the certification testing that will get this route flying and then ramp up production for our other confirmed ZA600 customers,” Val Miftakhov, ZeroAvia’s founder and CEO, said in a press release announcing the deal.
The entrepreneur referred to the fact that ZeroAvia’s hybrid hydrogen-fed propulsion system is not yet certified., However, the company has made strides in that direction.
Both ZeroAvia and RVL Aviation see the deal as a first step in what could be a much more ambitious plan to roll out hydrogen-powered cargo services in the not-so-distant future.
