American Airlines is reaffirming its confidence in hydrogen as a means to meet its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Fort Worth-based airline — the No. 2 carrier at San Antonio International Airport — is purchasing 100 hydrogen-electric engines to power its regional jets and increasing its investment in ZeroAvia, the U.S.-U.K. startup developing the fuel cell-powered engines. ZeroAvia is currently testing a prototype for a 20-seat plane.
Port San Antonio jockeying to be ‘flying car’ hub In 2021, American invested in Vertical Aerospace, which is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft known as eVTOLs. In 2022, American and Boom Supersonic made a deal for up to 20 Overture aircraft, planes expected to carry passengers at twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft.