But while some have seen the agreement as Airbus simply offering a leg-up to the relatively inexperienced ZeroAvia, its chief executive Val Miftakhov thinks the co-operation between the two parties could become much deeper.
“We are hoping to be their engine partner across the board eventually, ” he says.
A relationship between the pair has existed for several years, he points out, “and finally they decided that they want to join forces. ”