Alaskan operator Ravn to retrofit Dash 8 fleet with hydrogen-electric engines | News

US regional operator Ravn Alaska is on the lookout to retrofit its De Havilland Sprint 8 turboprop fleet with hydrogen-electric powered propulsion systems from ZeroAvia.

The provisional agreement covers acquisition of 30 of ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 powertrains – a significant-electric power variation of the advancement, providing 2,500MW – to exchange the Sprint 8s’ engines and permit zero-emission flights.

Ravn employs Dash 8-100 and -300 variants on regional Alaskan routes. Its community includes this sort of areas as Dutch Harbor, Kenai, Cold Bay and Dillingham.

“We want to be at the forefront of adopting zero-emission aviation once [US] FAA-qualified systems occur to current market,” states Ravn Alaska chief Rob McKinney.

“The point out is an essential strategic concentrate on for early adoption of hydrogen-electric flight routes,” claims ZeroAvia.

It states Alaska depends strongly on aviation for interstate travel and its renewable vitality assets give the likely to crank out ‘green’ hydrogen.

ZeroAvia is hunting to introduce the ZA2000 powertrain, supposed for 40- to 90-seat plane operating across 500nm of array, from all over 2026.

It will complement the 600kW powertrain, aimed at nine- to 19-seat plane, which will enter assistance two years previously.