ZeroAvia appoints Billy Nolen as Senior Strategy & Regulatory Advisor

Image courtesy ZeroAvia

A vastly experienced safety expert, airline executive and pilot, Nolen will work with ZeroAvia’s team to expedite the push towards certification of both its 600kW electric propulsion system and its full hydrogen-electric powertrains.  

ZeroAvia recently announced a significant regulatory milestone after receiving an FAA G-1 issue paper for its 600kW electric propulsion system. The company is also working to certify its first full hydrogen-electric powertrain – ZA600 (above) – with the UK CAA.

Nolen spent more than a quarter of a century with American Airlines, including as a pilot operating narrowbody and wide-body aircraft. His career as a pilot was followed by roles focused on safety with American, Qantas and Westjet, before he joined the FAA, first as associate administrator for safety, before quickly taking on the role of acting administrator.  
 
Since departing his role at the FAA in June 2023, Nolen has served as Archer Aviation’s Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer and will continue in this role, splitting his time between both of the two innovative aerospace scale-ups.   

Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO, ZeroAvia, said: “Billy’s expertise on safety and the regulatory landscape will be another big advantage for ZeroAvia as we seek to certify our first engine and enter into service. We are seeing great traction with the regulators who understand that this is a global race to deliver the aircraft propulsion systems of the future and that safely certifying these technologies at pace creates a huge industrial opportunity. We’re excited to leverage Billy’s experience in this direction.”

Billy Nolen, Senior Strategy & Regulatory Advisor, ZeroAvia, said: “We are on the cusp of a shift towards alternative propulsion systems and new aircraft modalities that is going to be the most exciting time in aviation since the dawning of the jet age. I could not be more thrilled to be joining one of the most standout pioneers and look forward to helping the team make history by obtaining the company’s first type certificates.”  

ZeroAvia has already extensively tested a prototype of its first ZA600-engine aboard a Dornier 228 aircraft at its UK base. The company has also performed advanced ground tests in the US and UK for the key building block technologies for the ZA2000 system, including cryogenic tanks or LH2 and proprietary high-temperature PEM fuel cell and electric propulsion systems. ZA2000 will support up to 80-seat regional turboprop aircraft such as the ATR72 or the Dash 8 400.   
 
ZeroAvia is leading the transition to a clean future of flight by developing electric propulsion technologies for aviation to unlock lower costs and emissions, cleaner air, reduced noise, energy independence and increased connectivity. The company is developing hydrogen-electric (fuel cell-powered) engines for existing commercial aircraft segments and also supplying hydrogen and electric propulsion component technologies for novel electric air transport applications (including battery, hybrid and fuel cell powered electric fixed-wing aircraft, novel eVTOL designs, rotorcraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). 

ZeroAvia has submitted its first full engine for up to 20-seat planes for certification and is working on a larger powertrain for 40–80-seat aircraft, with significant flight test and regulatory milestones achieved with the US FAA and UK CAA.