Aviation company ZeroAvia is to open a major facility at Cotswold Airport.

The UK-based company will use the facility as its base for developing the HyFlyer II, a hydrogen-electric powered aircraft which solely emits water vapour during flight.

ZeroAvia recently secured a grant of £12.3 million in Government funding through the Aerospace Technology Institute.

The HyFlyer II programme is set to deliver a 19-seat hydrogen-electric powered aircraft that is market-ready by 2023.

The grant award follows ZeroAvia’s successful world first short flight of a commercial-grade 6-seater hydrogen-electric aircraft last September. Their future goal is be flight ready for commercial 500-mile trips; the equivalent of a round trip from London to Edinburgh; by 2023.

Sergey Kiselev, VP Europe, ZeroAvia, said: “We were very impressed with what Cotswold Airport, local talent and support can offer the company as a base for the delivery of the HyFlyer II project.

"It’s a beautiful part of the country and we’re looking forward to seeing more of it from the air as we take zero emission aviation towards commercial adoption with this project.”

The Inward Investment team at GFirst LEP and Cotswold District Council are supporting Zeroavia to deliver the project.

Chris Lau, head of inward investment at GFirst LEP, said: “We are very happy to support ZeroAvia’s investment into the county. ZeroAvia’s investment is a testament to Gloucestershire’s strong expertise and track record in the aerospace sector.

Rob Weaver, chief executive at Cotswold District Council, added: “We are delighted that ZeroAvia has chosen to base its operations in the Cotswolds. Attracting a business at the cutting edge of environmental technology is exciting for the District and exactly what our recently-adopted Green Economic Growth Strategy seeks to achieve.

Suzannah Harvey, CEO of Cotswold Airport, said: “We are thrilled to welcome ZeroAvia to Cotswold Airport, this alliance will not only spearhead a stratospheric leap in carbon-neutral commercial travel, but also could go a long way in tackling the global climate crisis. ZeroAvia are a huge asset to Cotswold Airport and the region and we will be working with them to attain carbon neutral status at the airport over the next ten years.”

The company is currently recruiting. Visit zeroavia.applytojob.com/apply

The inward investment team at GFirst LEP aims to facilitate investment, innovation and growth to the region. Find out more at investingloucestershire.com