JetZero eyes cargo potential with LH₂-ready Z4
JetZero, a Californian start-up developing the all-wing Z4 aircraft, has partnered with France’s SHZ Advanced Technologies to adapt liquid hydrogen (LH₂) storage and distribution systems for a potential future variant.
The Z4, designed to cut fuel burn and emissions by up to 50% compared with conventional tube-and-wing jets, offers additional space in its wider fuselage – a feature that makes both passenger and freighter versions more compatible with hydrogen tanks. Cargo operators are seen as key beneficiaries of the design, as the Z4 freighter could combine lower emissions with higher volume efficiency.
Under Nasa’s AACES programme, JetZero and SHZ will work on technical solutions for LH₂ integration in commercial aviation. With freight demand driving growth and decarbonisation pressure rising, the Z4’s planned cargo variants are positioned as a step towards a cleaner, quieter and more efficient airfreight future. (ah)