easyJet’s CEO and Chair of Hydrogen in Aviation (HIA), Johan Lundgren, has called for the UK to contribute further funding towards the advancement of hydrogen-powered aviation technology.
The call comes from the group’s latest report, published on 18 March 2024. The HIA alliance, made up of a consortium of UK and Europe-based companies, including Airbus, Bristol Airport, easyJet, GKN Aerospace, Ørsted, RollsRoyce, and ZeroAvia, was established in September 2023.
As a group, HIA represents a range of parts in the wider aviation ecosystem, from airlines to manufacturers, to technology developers, all focused on hydrogen-powered flights in the UK.
“We have all the right ingredients for this,” said Lundgren. “But this is not simply going to happen on its own. We need a clear plan and a strong government vision to make it happen.”
The report lays out milestones around four core journeys that HIA said must be taken in order to “keep investment flowing into UK hydrogen-powered aviation R&D,” alongside regulatory frameworks and infrastructure necessary to get hydrogen-fuelled planes off the ground. These four journeys outline building the aircraft, making hydrogen for aviation, transporting hydrogen, and flying hydrogen-fuelled planes.
Some of the listed recommendations include funding a project by the UK Government to “better understand when the ‘tipping point’ occurs for hydrogen supply to individual airports.” The report also calls for the government to establish a National Hydrogen Academy, to be operational by 2025, and to further clarify plans for hydrogen beyond 2035, up to 2050.
“We commit to doing our share of this work – each of us has made a pledge as part of this – and we want to work with the Government, regulators, and other stakeholders to make sure this happens,” added Lundgren.
