FAA approves pathway for ZA600 propulsion system

The FAA has granted hydrogen-electric aircraft developer ZeroAvia approval to begin the next phase of the certification process for its 600kW electric propulsion system. The company signed a P-1 Special Conditions Paper with the FAA for its electric propulsion system (EPS) — a major component of the hydrogen-electric ZA600 powertrain — that enables the company to establish compliance guidelines for certification of the EPS, ZeroAvia told Cargo Facts . [caption id="attachment_57291282" align="alignnone" width="1110"] ZeroAvia has been testing the ZA600 system on a Dornier 228. (Courtesy/ZeroAvia)[/caption] Path to certification The P-1 Special Conditions Paper provides the technical conditions and safety requirements that ZeroAvia’s ZA600 powertrain must fulfill to be certified by the FAA. ZeroAvia has also started working with the CAA for certification of the ZA600 powertrain and has started testing the motors, inverters and fuel cells, the company said. The Hollister, Calif.-based developer plans to open an engine test facility for the ZA600 in the coming weeks. The next steps are to: Complete FAA, CAA and EASA compliance requirements; Install the final version of the ZA600 powertrain into one of ZeroAvia’s Dornier 228 aircraft; and Begin flight tests. ZeroAvia has requested a permit from the CAA to conduct demonstration flights in the U.K. with its Cessna Caravan powered by the ZA600 powertrain. The developer hopes this will simplify the approval process with the CAA and EASA, Oli Henstridge, vice president of sales and business development, said during a sustainability panel at Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 in May. ZeroAvia anticipates receiving ZA600 powertrain approval from the CAA by the end of 2026 and has ramped up component production capabilities at its propulsion facility at Paine Field (PAE) in Everett, Wash. This will support the approval process and pre-certification delivery to customers while scaling up its capacity to support demand, it told Cargo Facts . Demand for electric propulsion Although the company does not have EPS orders from existing turboprop manufacturers, it is garnering interest from electric aircraft developers and recently secured its first order from Murrieta, Calif.-based JetCruzer, it said. ZeroAvia's ZA600 will power a Cessna 208B freighter to be operated by U.K. launch customer RVL Aviation . RVL reached a deal with U.K.-based turboprop leasing company Monte for one unit and will consider adding more after evaluating the performance of the ZA600-powered Cessna Caravan 208B. ZeroAvia received slot commitments for up to ten of its ZA2000 powertrains from ASL Aviation Holdings in 2024, and American Airlines inked a deal for 100 hydrogen-powered engines that same year. ZeroAvia also finalized a deal with Textron Aviation to begin developing a hydrogen-electric powerplant for the Cessna 208B in 2022. The company has already initiated the development of its next hybrid-electric propulsion system, designed to support regional, narrowbody aircraft powered by jet turbines. It has moved from the research phase and started designing multi-megawatt motors, fuel cells and liquid hydrogen fuel systems that could support narrowbody aircraft in the early-to-mid 2030s, ZeroAvia told Cargo Facts . Register here for Cargo Facts ’ upcoming free webinar, “Air cargo route networks: Strategies for improved results and greater efficiencies,” on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 11 a.m. ET. Cargo Facts Symposium, the quintessential event for stakeholders and key leaders in the global freighter and air cargo industries, will take place Oct. 22-24 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville . Learn more and register today to take advantage of the early-bird rate before Sept. 5.

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