The government has announced new grants worth £84 million too develop a greener aerospace market that could see zero-emissions flights launched as early as 2023.

Half of the money will come from the government’s ATI Programme, while the rest will be matched by industry.

The government said that green technology which could one day be used for taxi-like aircraft will “revolutionise the aviation industry”, with potential for zero-emissions air travel in two years.

Three research and development projects that focus on green technology to power zero-emissions flights, using alternative energy sources of hydrogen or electricity, will benefit from the project.

GKN Aerospace-led project H2GEAR will receive a £27.2 million government grant to develop an innovative liquid hydrogen propulsion system (a component that propels the aircraft forward) for regional air travel, which could be scaled up for larger aircraft and longer journeys

ZeroAvia’s HyFlyer II will receive a £12.3 million government grant to scale up its zero-emissions engines for demonstration on a 19-seater aircraft, showcasing its significant technological advances, meaning that customers can expect to fly on zero-emissions aircraft as early as the end of 2023

InCEPTion, led by Blue Bear Systems Research, is receiving a £2.8 million government grant to develop a fully-electrified zero-emissions propulsion system for aircraft, that is powerful, quiet and efficient and could be used for smaller aircraft travelling short distances – even within the same city

“These trailblazing projects are broadening the horizons of future air travel, towards a greener future where we may be able to hail taxis from the sky rather than on our streets,” said Paul Scully, minister for business. “This multi-million-pound boost will help to secure up to 4,750 jobs in these projects spanning the UK, and could pave the way to technological advances that will allow the industry to build back better and greener following the COVID-19 pandemic – and help tackle climate change.”

The grant programme forms part of the government’s wider £3.9 billion government-industry investment in aerospace research and development projects from 2013 to 2026 through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and delivered through the ATI Programme.

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