Airports sought for electric or hybrid aircraft

Air New Zealand has opened an Expression of Interest (EOI) to airports around the country as part of selecting a route to fly its commercial demonstrator aircraft from 2026.

The yet-to-be-selected commercial demonstrator aircraft will be either electric, hybrid or hydrogen fuel celled and will initially operate as a cargo only service, the company says.

The airline is looking for airports which want to further support the decarbonisation of aviation and are motivated to take on a leadership role in developing the infrastructure required to fly this technology.

Air New Zealand is expected to announce by early 2024 the lower emission commercial demonstrator aircraft type which will be flying two years later.

The move is part of the airline’s ‘Mission Next Gen Aircraft’ announcement made late last year, with Air New Zealand intending to replace its larger fleet from 2030 and gaining partners for next generation aircraft development.

The two airports selected will play a critical role in introducing lower-emissions aircraft into the Aotearoa aviation system, says Air New Zealand chief sustainability officer Kiri Hannifin.

“Work around next generation aircraft is a key part of the airline’s strategy to decarbonise its operations,” she explains.

“Decarbonising aviation is not easy, and we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but we’re committed to reducing our emissions as quickly as we can, and this process is another step in the right direction.

“While we’re really looking forward to bringing two frontrunner airports on board, it’s also important to note that all airports in New Zealand play an important role as we work towards bringing next generation aircraft into our network here in Aotearoa at scale,” Hannifin adds.

“Over the next few years as Air New Zealand works towards its ambition of flying next generation aircraft on our domestic network from 2030, we will be focused on supporting the building, testing, and certifying of aircraft and associated infrastructure.”

The EOI sets out operational requirements which need to be considered, including factors like range.

Click here for the EOI document.