London Gatwick Airport Partners with Airbus for Hydrogen Future

In a move to expand hydrogen capability and infrastructure in the UK, Airbus has teamed up with London Gatwick Airport, easyJet, and Air Products, the world's largest hydrogen supplier. This move pushes Airbus closer to its target of getting a hydrogen-powered aircraft in the sky by 2035.  

Airbus' Hydrogen Hubs at Airports project will include liquid hydrogen supply and storage at the airport, refuelling and ground handling of hydrogen aircraft, and exploring short-term opportunities for utilising hydrogen at London Gatwick. 

This partnership is reinforced by London Gatwick's position as the UK's leading hub for these services and easyJet's operational insights as a short-haul carrier, creating an ideal testing site for research and development of support infrastructure.  

Airbus Vice President of the ZEROe Project Glenn Llewellyn said: "Our licence to operate hinges on finding better ways to fly. We know hydrogen has the versatility to be an excellent fuel source for decarbonising the industry. We've set ambitious targets to fly on hydrogen by 2035 and this technology needs to be supported by reliable and tested infrastructure. Sharing knowledge and best practice at airports will be critical for building the right hydrogen ecosystem around the world and we look forward to working with all consortium members to develop the support for the technology and end-to-end hydrogen supply chain that will power future flight." 

"Along with sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen stands out as having real potential to help us decarbonise Scope 3 emissions at the airport, particularly for the short-haul aircraft that dominate London Gatwick's operations," said Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick. 

Airbus' "Hydrogen Hub at Airports" programme agreements have been signed with partners and airports in 13 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

Brookfield Aviation International believes this partnership marks a significant stride towards a hydrogen-powered future for aviation. As the industry transitions to sustainable aviation, partnerships and innovation will be vital to overcoming challenges and realising the potential of hydrogen as a clean fuel.