The “zero emissions” hydrogen test was partially run with fossil fuels

By Adam Vaughan

A six-seat ZeroAvia aircraft in flight

ZeroAvia

The first test flight of a hydrogen passenger plane ran on fuel, mostly made from fossil fuels, the company behind the plane admitted.

Based in the UK and US, ZeroAvia last week flew a six-seater aircraft that ran on hydrogen instead of kerosene and said it was the first hydrogen fuel cell flight by a commercial aircraft. The company described the test as “the first step towards realizing the transformation possibilities in the transition from fossil fuels to emission-free hydrogen”.

British Aviation Secretary Robert Courts said the flight was a sign of "commitment …