ZeroAvia names Christine Ourmières-Widener as chief executive

ZeroAvia has named Christine Ourmières-Widener as its new chief executive, effective immediately, the company said. She will lead efforts to certify and commercialise its hydrogen-electric propulsion systems, while also staying on as chair of the board.

Ourmières-Widener has been ZeroAvia's executive chair since November 2025, and she has sat on its board since 2021. Before joining the company, she held chief executive roles at TAP Air Portugal, Flybe and CityJet. She also worked in senior positions at Air France-KLM earlier in her career.

She trained as an aeronautical engineer and began her career at Air France, where she worked on the Concorde programme.

ZeroAvia is one of several companies developing hydrogen-electric powertrains for regional aircraft, with the aim of cutting emissions from short-haul flying. The appointment puts an executive with extensive airline operations experience at the head of a company that is still working toward regulatory approval for its technology.