Led by the ATI and backed by the UK government, FlyZero is a strategic research project designed to secure a lead for the UK in future zero-carbon emission air travel.
The £15 million project will pull together expertise from across the UK supply chain and universities in an initial 12-month programme to look at the design challenges and market opportunity of potential aircraft concepts. The FlyZero vision is for the UK to realise zero-carbon emission commercial flight by the end of the decade.
Chris Gear has a wealth of experience in the aerospace industry, having led major strategic projects, including in the areas of disruptive and novel technologies. He was chief technology officer for GKN Aerospace from 2014 to 2019, which included running the global technology department for the engineering group.
Prior to that, as vice president & chief engineer of GKN Aerospace, Chris led the engineering and technology team with a £20 million budget and 500 engineers globally.
His experience covers many facets of the FlyZero programme, from design and research to manufacturing process development, operational costs, product strategies and airworthiness.
Gary Elliott, chief executive of the Aerospace Technology Institute, said: “The selection panel for the Project Director role were impressed with Chris’s track record of achievement and leadership, and for the connections that he has built across the sector. He was the standout candidate in a very strong and credible pool of applicants. Chris is well aligned with the vision for FlyZero and has shown a strong understanding of the critical path the project must take to deliver the future of zero-carbon emission aviation, along with the potential for follow on moon-shots as consistent with the ambitions of the Jet Zero Council”.
Commenting on his appointment, Chris Gear, said: “I am delighted to be joining FlyZero as Project Director and look forward to working with Gary and the rest of the ATI team along with my colleagues in industry, academia and research institutes. I see this initiative as the next step in the UK aerospace industry, supported by Government, at developing our knowledge on what will be the next-generation aircraft with zero carbon emissions. It will be a significant challenge, with several potential technology solutions, each with their own complexities. The role of FlyZero will be to convene expertise from across the UK aerospace sector, to examine and prioritise these technologies, and to give the UK aerospace community the advantage of securing an early lead in this new era of aviation”.
The process for recruiting the other FlyZero roles, starting initially with department heads and other senior personnel, is now underway.
