QinetiQ's Zephyr solar-powered High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) is launched from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on July 23, 2007. QinetiQ announced on September 10 that the Zephyr has exceeded the official world record time for the longest duration unmanned flight with a 54hr flight during trials at White Sands. The trials were funded through a UK Ministry of Defence research programme. The flight significantly exceeded the current official FAI record of 30hrs 24mins set by an RQ-4A Global Hawk on March 22, 2001. However, because no FAI officials were present during the Zephyr flight, it may not stand as an official record. During the record flight it was flown to a maximum altitude of 58,355ft (17,787m) with a surveillance payload, whilst on a second flight it flew for 33hrs 43mins and reached 52,247ft (15,925m).

The QinetiQ Zephyr being hand launched before dawn on the Yuma range, viewed through night vision goggles.

The Airbus Zephyr S was launched from an undisclosed site in Arizona at the start of its record-breaking flight.

Airbus’ Zephyr undertook its latest tests in Arizona

The Airbus Space and Defence Zephyr 7 High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite unmanned air vehicle has conducted its first civilian-authorised flight.

Airbus is commercialising its Zephyr HAPS

Zephyr is a solar-powered unmanned air vehicle.

Preparations for a test flight of the Airbus Zephyr, one of several new solar-powered, high-altitude, long-endurance systems under development.

The latest Airbus Zephyr test flights took place in Arizona

Airbus Zephyr seen during US test flights in 2021

Zephyr S is to operate from Wyndham in Western Australia from September 2018.

3 декабря 2020г. Airbus Defence and Space - подразделение Airbus Group, ответственное за оборонную и аэрокосмическую продукцию, объявило об успешном завершении этапа испытательных полетов своего высотного экспериментального беспилотного самолета Zephyr, оснащенного солнечными панелями. Полеты проходили в Аризоне, США. Основное внимание уделялось маневренности и управляемости аппарата, отработке новых режимов полета и нового оборудования.