Climate Changed

Private Planes Could Soon Go Carbon-Free With Help From Hydrogen

  • Startups looking to reduce emissions from air travel
  • Plunging price of hydrogen could make it cheaper than jet fuel
Electric-Powered Airplanes Are Headed for Takeoff
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The climate-conscious super-rich may soon be able to take a private plane that doesn’t burn fossil fuels.

Some small aircraft could be flying with zero emissions within a decade, according to Val Miftakhov, founder and chief executive officer of start-up ZeroAvia, which is developing a hydrogen-fueled electric engine for small planes. The company is one of a number of ventures seeking to decarbonize air travel, a source of about 2% of man-made carbon-dioxide emissions.