Aviation startup ZeroAvia says it’s been granted a “raft” of 45 new patents key to the development of practical large hydrogen aviation engines – and the company says it has 200 more H-related patents in the pipeline!

The news comes just weeks after ZeroAvia and Scottish regional airline Loganair announced a new, hydrogen-electric “turboprop” replacement motor capable of up to 5MW of shaft horsepower (~6,700 hp). United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) no. 12,341,225 covers an integrated hydrogen-electric engine design land is key to the development of a modular multi-MW hydrogen-electric engine for the ATR 42 and 72 model aircraft — which Loganair owns more than twenty of.

ATR isn’t the only potential customer ZerAvia is eyeballing, either. Despite hydrogen losing ground on utility-scale projects and more companies realizing that it’s “impossible” for hydrogen to compete as a transportation fuel, the fuel still seems to have some practical application in the aviation space. Both Airbus and Boeing have advanced plans and IP for hydrogen-ready airframes in recent weeks, as well, making the IP for large hydrogen-powered aviation engines that much more valuable.

“Recent patents filed and granted around hydrogen aviation give a window into an accelerating field of innovation,” explains Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO, ZeroAvia. “As we see the large airframe manufacturers beginning to compete on technologies for hydrogen aircraft, there is a big opportunity for companies pioneering hydrogen propulsion systems. These are the inventions that will deliver truly clean, more affordable and highly efficient commercial air travel.”

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What it’s all about

Like many tech-based startups, securing IP has been an integral part of ZeroAvia’s strategy, with the value of its patents being, essentially, the value of the company. Just as – if not more important to airlines like Loganair, American, and EcoJet, however, are the potential cost-savings of hydrogen compared to conventional aviation fuels like kerosene.

Importantly, these novel engines promise cost reductions for airlines. The substantially lower maintenance needs of hydrogen-electric engines will mean a decrease in maintenance and downtime for an airline’s fleet, with hydrogen fuel also projected to be significantly more cost effective than kerosene over time.

ZEROAVIA

You can read more about the new ZA600 and ZA2000 hydrogen-electric av motors here, and let us know what you think of hydrogen’s chances against traditional, kerosense-based aviation fuels in the comments.

SOURCE | IMAGES: ZeroAvia.

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Jaipur: Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday demanded a judicial commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the Ahmedabad plane crash. In a post on X, Gehlot said the commission should include senior officials from the Indian Air Force and experts from the aviation sector to investigate the incident.

“There is a growing sentiment that since the pilots are no longer alive to present their side, blaming them becomes the easiest option. Several experts have questioned why such experienced and medically fit pilots would intentionally switch off the fuel supply,” Gehlot wrote. The Congress leader, who has previously served as the Union civil aviation minister, said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report on the crash has led to widespread concerns and speculations across the globe and he too had serious doubts about the findings of the report. “It has been over a month since the accident, yet discussions continue in the media, on social media and within the global aviation community. The entire nation wants to know what caused the death of 260 people,” he added.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will establish a S$200m (US$155m) OneAviation Manpower Fund to support initiatives to better attract, develop and retain the OneAviation workforce. This S$200m (US$155m) is part of the S$1bn (US$780m) announced in March 2025 to catalyze action and partnership in four areas of Connectivity, Infrastructure, Technology, and Manpower over the next five years.

Aviation Jobs Transformation Report

This announcement came as the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) jointly published a jobs transformation report for the Singapore aviation sector, to take stock of its current workforce, identify future trends and develop programs to help Singaporeans seize future opportunities in the sector, which is expected to grow robustly over the next few decades, including with the opening of Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 5 in the mid-2030s.

The report is the result of a year-long manpower study commissioned in 2024 by the CAAS and WSG, with support from the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Transport, SkillsFuture Singapore, Ministry of Education, the Institutes of Higher Learning, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Aerospace and Aviation Cluster of Unions and aviation employers. According to the organization, this is the first comprehensive manpower study of the Singapore aviation sector. Insights were gathered from over 200 companies and detailed workshops, conducted with companies such as Certis Group, Changi Airport Group, dnata, SATS, SIA Engineering Company and SIA Group.

Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for the Singapore Ministry of Transport and Ministry of National Development and aviation tripartite partners launched the report on 18 July 2025, at the OneAviation Careers and Education Fair 2025 at the Suntec City Convention Centre.

The Aviation Jobs Transformation Report reportedly provides a first-ever comprehensive stock-take of the Singapore aviation sector and identifies future trends that will impact jobs and skills. The key highlights are below.

The Singapore aviation sector directly employs over 60,000 workers today. This is expected to grow in tandem with air travel demand. They include employees in local airlines, airport operators and ground handling companies, supporting workforce in air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, immigration, safety and security operations, systems maintenance, and others, as well as workers instrumental to providing the Changi experience such as in cleaning, food and beverage (F&B), hospitality and travel retail services. The report identified 31 operational job functions that are critical to day-to-day air hub operations, including pilots and cabin crew, baggage and cargo handling professionals, licensed aircraft engineers, aviation security officers and in-flight catering chefs. The sector will continue to build a pipeline of skilled professionals to fulfil these functions as the air hub grows.

Six megatrends were projected to impact aviation jobs and skills over the next five years. The megatrends include three technology trends, namely digitalization, data and artificial intelligence (AI), automation and robotics, and three non-technology trends, namely changing consumer preferences, changing workforce preferences and sustainability.

These megatrends are expected to transform existing jobs and create new jobs for the Singapore aviation sector, for up to 30% of the workforce over the next five years. The report highlighted that businesses and operations in the Singapore air hub will need to respond to these megatrends to stay competitive and resilient. Existing jobs will be transformed, and new jobs will be created for a new generation of Singapore workers. An example of this is in airport ground handling services, where automation and robotics, and digitalization will transform the traditionally labor-intensive nature of the work.

Actions taken

To strengthen aviation workforce development, the report presented a number of the sector’s plans. First, deepen industry-education partnerships to equip Singaporeans with future skills and capabilities and promote aviation careers. CAAS will bring the sector and educational institutions together to systematically develop capabilities and programs that equip Singaporeans to seize future opportunities in aviation. Efforts will include collaboration to identify changing training needs, develop new curriculum and provide structured internships and in-house training to students and workers.

To put this into action, on 18 July 2025, CAAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Aviation Talent Development with nine Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to strengthen pathways into the sector for young Singaporeans and empower mid-career job seekers to pursue aspirations in aviation.

Secondly, accelerate ecosystem-level investments in technology and research and development (R&D) to assist workers and raise labor productivity. CAAS will work with industry, unions and the research community to develop a multi-year technology roadmap. This roadmap will orchestrate technology development and deployment across research institutes and companies and ensure that R&D efforts result in enhanced operational capabilities that can be deployed across the entire aviation ecosystem.

As part of this, on the same day, CAAS signed a MOU on strategic collaboration for AI capability and talent development with AI Singapore, Changi Airport Group, SATS and the Singapore Airlines to collaborate on sector-wide problem statements using AI, and to build up a pool of AI talent for aviation.

US$200m OneAviation Manpower Fund

The third point was to provide stronger and more targeted support to companies to transform jobs and better support workers. CAAS’s US$200m (US$155m) OneAviation Manpower Fund will support schemes designed in partnership with unions, aviation employers and education partners. The funding support will target specific manpower development needs for the aviation sector. It is to complement existing initiatives such as NTUC’s Company Training Committee grant for business and workforce transformation and WSG Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) for job redesign and reskilling efforts.

In addition, WSG will develop an Aviation Sector Job Redesign Playbook later in 2025 to support aviation employers in identifying essential skillsets for emerging roles and implementing job redesign opportunities effectively. Through this playbook, Singaporeans can explore diverse job opportunities in aviation that align with their career aspirations. Employers can also leverage the national Career Health SG initiative’s suite of tools and resources to support their workers in building resilient and fulfilling careers in the sector.

OneAviation Careers and Education 2025

Themed “One Industry. Many Opportunities.”, the third edition of OneAviation Careers and Education Fair brings together over 40 aviation employers, aviation educational institutions and partner organizations to showcase the breadth of aviation opportunities to youths and mid-career job seekers. At the 2025 event, visitors can experience drone soccer, try their hand at flight and air traffic control simulators, and explore virtual reality stations in a dedicated experiential zone. The event features exclusive dialogue sessions where aviation professionals share their inspiring career journeys, alongside a recruitment fair where 16 employers are conducting on-site interviews to fill more than 1,500 job vacancies. Job seekers can also benefit from personalized career coaching and guidance services at the event.

Han Kok Juan, director-general of CAAS, commented, “The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects global air passenger demand to double over the next twenty years. As a premier air hub, Singapore is well-placed to capture this growth. To meet demand, we are investing in Changi Airport Terminal 5 and will operate the new terminal for decades to come, after it completes in the mid-2030s. As we grow, the Singapore aviation sector will provide new and exciting career opportunities for Singaporeans, now, and in the future. The Aviation Jobs Transformation Report, the various collaboration agreements we signed and the new US$200m [US$155m] OneAviation Manpower Fund CAAS set up will give a big boost to Singapore’s aviation manpower development efforts. It is a testament to our shared tripartite commitment to build a skilled workforce to secure our long-term competitiveness and resilience and to ensure that growth translates to enabling opportunities for Singaporeans.”

Dilys Boey, chief executive of WSG, said, “The aviation sector stands at the forefront of technological advancement and economic transformation. The Aviation Jobs Transformation Report reveals exciting opportunities across the sector, both present and future. To thrive in this dynamic landscape, employers must proactively invest in their workforce’s career health through job redesign, career planning and skills development as individuals take charge of their career journeys. Together with our OneAviation tripartite partners, WSG is committed to supporting both employers and individuals in navigating this transformation. By embracing change and developing our talent, we will strengthen Singapore’s position as a leading aviation hub.”

Cham Hui Fong, deputy secretary-general of NTUC, stated, “NTUC and our Aerospace and Aviation Cluster of unions are committed to prioritizing workers’ job security and skills development through industry and job transformations. The NTUC Company Training Committee (CTC) initiative has been pivotal in supporting ongoing industry and workforce transformation efforts to enhance productivity. CTCs will continue to enable companies to adopt new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, automation and digitalization; redesign jobs to increase job value; and, just as important, to upskill our workforce for these jobs and technologies. We will continue working closely with our OneAviation tripartite partners to ensure that workers across diverse age groups and job roles, including PMEs and older workers, can navigate transitions and seize emerging opportunities as the industry evolves.”

In related news, Singapore’s Prime Minister and minister for finance, Lawrence Wong, recently officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5), a mega terminal that will handle approximately 50 million passengers annually in its first phase in the mid-2030s. Click here to read the full story.