ZeroAvia’s modified 19-seat Dornier 228 flew for about 10 minutes from Cotswold Airport in the UK on January 19, 2023. It was a milestone for hydrogen-electric flight, but not a flight powered entirely by hydrogen: fuel cells and batteries drove the aircraft’s left-side propulsion system, while a conventional kerosene engine powered the right.
What happened on ZeroAvia’s test flight?
The flight demonstrated a hybrid hydrogen-electric propulsion system aboard a modified Dornier 228. The aircraft took off from Cotswold Airport and remained airborne for roughly 10 minutes, according to MIT Technology Review’s January 19, 2023 report.
- Left side: An electric motor received power from a hydrogen fuel cell and batteries. During the flight, the batteries supplied about half the power to this system, and the fuel cell supplied the other half.
- Right side: A conventional engine burned kerosene.
- Cabin changes: Seats were removed to make room for the fuel-cell equipment and hydrogen tanks.
So, was the whole plane powered by hydrogen? No. The test aircraft combined hydrogen-electric propulsion on one side with conventional kerosene propulsion on the other.
How does a hydrogen-powered plane work?
In this configuration, a fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen from the air to produce electricity for an electric motor. The direct release from that process is water, as described in the MIT Technology Review account. Batteries also supplied substantial power during this particular test; it was not a fuel-cell-only demonstration.
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Hydrogen-electric propulsion changes how an aircraft makes power, but the test does not by itself establish zero emissions across the whole flight mission or the fuel’s lifecycle. The demonstrated aircraft still used kerosene on its right side, and the flight was an experimental configuration rather than a commercial passenger service.
What the flight demonstrated—and what it did not
MIT Technology Review described the Dornier 228 as the largest aircraft ZeroAvia had flown with hydrogen fuel cells at the time. The flight showed that a hydrogen fuel-cell-and-battery system could power one side of an aircraft in flight. It did not demonstrate a fully hydrogen-powered airliner, routine passenger service, broad aviation emissions cuts, or commercial readiness.
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Scaling the technology presents physical constraints. Fuel cells add weight, and hydrogen takes up more storage volume than kerosene, even when cooled to cryogenic temperatures for liquid storage. Those challenges become more consequential as aircraft get larger and travel farther.
MIT Technology Review reported in 2023 that aviation accounted for about 3% of global greenhouse-gas emissions. That is the figure reported in that article, not a current 2026 estimate. The same report quoted UCL aviation-transport researcher Andreas Schäfer saying of the emissions and energy-use impact of small, short-range aircraft: “It’s really peanuts in terms of energy use and emissions.” Small aircraft could offer a nearer-term testing ground, but routes served by such planes represent only a limited share of aviation’s overall energy use and emissions; larger, longer-range aircraft could matter more but are harder to engineer for hydrogen.
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How the 2023 plans and permits should be read
In January 2023, AOPA reported that ZeroAvia had received a UK CAA Part 21 permit to fly its retrofitted 19-seat Dornier 228. Its coverage also described company expectations for a certifiable powertrain and commercial deliveries at that time. Those were plans and forecasts, not evidence that certification or service entry later occurred. AOPA’s January 2023 report also discussed Universal Hydrogen’s planned Dash 8 test work; it is historical context, not a current readiness comparison.
MIT Technology Review reported in January 2023 that ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov said the company had raised more than $140 million and had more than 1,500 pre-orders for its fuel-cell systems. The report also said the company was targeting a 2025 commercial launch with a 10-to-20-seat aircraft. These are dated statements and figures attributed to the company or its CEO; they do not establish present totals or whether the target was achieved, changed, or abandoned. The sources cited here do not establish either company’s current certification or commercial-aircraft status.
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After the Dornier flight, Miftakhov called it “a major step toward achieving” zero-emission commercial flight, adding, “there’s a lot of work still to do.” He also said, “This is putting us straight on the path to commercial launches.” Both comments were reported in January 2023 and should be understood as the CEO’s reaction at the time, not as a current status update.
A separate 2021 accident involved a different aircraft
The Dornier demonstration should not be confused with an earlier incident involving a modified Piper PA-46, registration G-HYZA, near Cranfield Airport on April 29, 2021. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch’s April 2022 anniversary statement says the battery was selected off during the test procedure, leaving the electric motors powered by the hydrogen fuel cell. Power to the motors was then lost, and the aircraft made a forced landing that caused severe damage. This was a separate experimental aircraft and event, not an incident during the 2023 Dornier flight. The AAIB statement documents the circumstances.
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