Rail connections between the Netherlands and other European countries may have improved significantly over the past year, but it’s true that sometimes flying might just be the easier and quicker travel option. 

But how can you fly internationally if you’re worried about your carbon footprint? Well, aircraft manufacturer ZeroAvia may have a solution: planes powered by hydrogen instead of kerosene.

First commercial hydrogen flight from Rotterdam to London in 2024

Engineers at ZeroAvia have been working on zero-emission planes for a while now, and a 6-seater hydrogen plane prototype has already been built and tested successfully. But now, a new partnership between the manufacturer and two Dutch airports, Schiphol and Rotterdam The Hague, will see things taken one step further with the development of a new commercial 19-seater aircraft - get a sneak peak of what it looks like in the video below:

The plane will be 100 percent powered by hydrogen, which means it will emit absolutely no CO2 - only water vapour, which should make flying a much more sustainable travel option in the future. If everything goes to plan, it shouldn’t take too long before the first commercial hydrogen-electric flight happens: ZeroAvia say the first flight should take place between Rotterdam and London as soon as 2023!

Sergey Kiselev, Head of Europe at ZeroAvia, said the collaboration meant that "in just three years’ time, you should be able to board a flight and make the hour journey between the UK and the Netherlands without worrying about the impact on the climate." Miranda Janse from Rotterdam The Hague Airport called it an "important milestone" for hydrogen-powered flight in the Netherlands.