Air New Zealand has announced Mission Next Generation Aircraft – an accelerator programme to progress two ambitious goals: firstly, to fly its first commercial demonstrator flight from 2026 and secondly to begin replacing its Q300 domestic fleet with a more sustainable aircraft – likely green hydrogen or battery hybrid systems – from 2030.
These goals follow the airline’s Product Requirements Document (PRD) released in December 2021, which saw more than 30 aircraft developers respond with ideas and insights to guide the technology development. Air New Zealand is in close negotiations and expects to sign letters of intent by the end of the year with the partners it will work with.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said that Air New Zealand aims to lead the world in introducing a more sustainable fleet.
“We have bold sustainability goals. Conventional business processes are not going to address the technology or infrastructure required to meet them. We want to lead the roll out of zero-emission aircraft and will work alongside aircraft developers, innovators and infrastructure providers to give them the confidence they’re developing a product that’s a viable option for us.
“The next three years will be focused on supporting the building, testing and certifying of aircraft and associated infrastructure. By 2026, we’re aiming to have our first zero-emissions aircraft – either cargo or passenger – take flight in New Zealand.
“The learnings we will take from flying an aircraft with next generation propulsion technology from 2026 will pave the way for our long-term green hydrogen and hybrid partners to deliver an aircraft that can replace our Q300 domestic fleet. We’re breaking new ground here – it’s not just the aircraft that needs to be developed, but also the infrastructure and regulation required to fly commercially.”
“We know these goals are ambitious, but ambition is exactly what is required to make this new technology a reality.”
