The Fort Worth-based carrier announced making a “strategic equity investment” in Los Angeles’ Universal Hydrogen Co., a startup developing a hydrogen fuel distribution and logistics network for the aviation industry in the U.S. and Europe.
American says the investment makes American the first U.S. airline “to make two direct investments focused on the development of both hydrogen-electric propulsion technology and the future of hydrogen distribution logistics.” (In August, American invested at least $5 million in California-based hydrogen-electric engine developer ZeroAvia.)
While terms of the deal were not disclosed, American said the investment supports its goal of meeting the Paris Agreement targets by 2035 and ultimately hitting net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The airline joined Airbus Ventures, GE Aviation, Toyota Ventures, and other “major hydrogen producers and aircraft lessors” in the funding for Universal Hydrogen.