The Department for Transport has announced £7.3m in funding for eight projects aiming to fuel the UK's transition to zero-emission flights.

Successful projects will support a range of research on hydrogen and electric aircraft to deliver greener aviation through zero-emission flight, including driving forward progress on bringing flying taxis to UK skies, with projects involving Beta technology and Vertical Aerospace receiving up to £3.2m funding to demonstrate how their next-gen aircraft can fit into commercial airport operations.

The funding is part of a wider £43m package for next-generation aviation technology that will support the safe handling of electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Earlier, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) published the latest findings of its Department for Transport (Dft)-funded Hydrogen Challenge, outlining the progress made on demonstrating that hydrogen can be safely and effectively introduced as a zero-emission aviation fuel.

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