The introduction of zero-emission aircraft will enable us to rethink our approach to regional connectivity and the way we currently fly, according to a recent report from the New Aviation Propulsion Knowledge and Innovation Network (NAPKIN), a consortium of nine UK organisations set up to establish a blueprint for zero-carbon aviation by modelling the introduction of low or zero-emissions aircraft into regional and short-haul aviation.
The report's authors concluded that zero-carbon-emission flight on sub-regional routes, using aircraft that range in size from 7 to 19 seats, will be feasible from the middle of this decade. The report also projects that it could be cost-effective to replace the entire UK regional fleet with safe, certified, zero-carbon emission larger aircraft comprising 50-90 seats by 2040.
As the Aerospace Technology Institute’s FlyZero study pointed out and as Airbus revealed at its 2022 technology summit, significant progress can...