Yorkshire firm to supply pioneering hybrid aircraft rescue and firefighting truck to airport

The Brighouse-based company is to supply the vehicle to Cranfield Airport, which is owned by Cranfield University.

Following an 18-month phase of rigorous market research and a comprehensive tender process, Venari has been awarded a contract by Cranfield University to supply a Ziegler Z-Class HybridDrive to Cranfield Airport.

Cranfield University in Bedfordshire is a leader in sustainable aviation research and development and was awarded £3 million earlier this year to decarbonise airport operations and further develop low-carbon aircraft.

The university plays a significant role in accelerating sustainable aviation research and translating this to regulated aviation.

As the only university in Europe with its own airport, alongside leading aerospace research facilities and world-renowned experts, Cranfield is harnessing digital and physical technologies to achieve rapid innovation.

The fire truck is an electrified Z-Class, utilising a hybrid drivetrain, not only for environmental benefits, but to improve critical response times through increased vehicle performance.

Venari Group CEO Oliver North said: “The 2021 UK Z-Class launch essentially provided the UK aviation firefighting industry with much needed competition at a time when innovation was required.

“The award from Cranfield allows Venari and Ziegler to boost not only Cranfield Airport’s decarbonising activity, but the aviation firefighting appliance sector in general.

"We’re very much ‘walking the walk’ in the direction that airports have requested.”

Cranfield became a member of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) in 2020 and has hosted its Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) Airborne Laboratory since 2007.

In September 2020, Cranfield supported ZeroAvia in achieving the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered flight of a commercial-grade aircraft. Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and the university are developing a green propulsion system using hydrogen fuel cell technology which can be fitted into aircraft with existing combustion engines.

Rob Abbott, Cranfield Airport Director, said: “Cranfield Airport is used for ground-breaking projects in areas such as our Digital Air Traffic Control Centre, the integration of manned and unmanned aircraft and enabling the future of electric and hydrogen flight.

"This contract represents another milestone on our support to the zero carbon aviation agenda.”

Cranfield Airport’s new Z-Class HybridDrive will be manufactured at Ziegler’s Giengen headquarters and then sent to West Yorkshire-based Venari for finalisation such as stowage fitment, communications instalments and livery.

Later in 2023, Cranfield Airport will have an appliance capable of being operated in three different ways: solely with electric power; with a blend of electric and combustion engine; or - in the event of protracted incidents requiring long duties – purely with a conventional, low emission Euro 6 engine.

Once the truck is produced and delivered to Cranfield Airport, Venari’s experienced team of airport rescue and firefighting truck engineers will ensure maximum operational efficiency, through regular servicing.