easyJet, alongside other leading companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GKN Aerospace, and Ørsted, has established the Hydrogen in Aviation (HIA) alliance to accelerate the delivery of zero-carbon aviation.
The group will work together to propose a clear and deliverable pathway to achieving hydrogen-powered aviation within the UK.
Airbus is one such company already working on developing hydrogen-powered aircraft with its ZEROe project, with the aim to enter commercial service in 2035. Likewise, Rolls-Royce and its partner, easyJet, successfully demonstrated a test run of the AE2100 turboprop powered by liquid hydrogen last year.
The alliance sets out three key focus areas for the government, which include supporting the delivery of UK infrastructure needed to become a leader in hydrogen aviation, ensuring the regulatory regime is ready for hydrogen, and transforming the UK R&D funding for hydrogen into a 10-year programme.
Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet and first Chair of HIA, said:
“There is no doubt that the UK has the potential to become a world leader in hydrogen aviation, which could bring with it a £34bn per annum boost to the country’s economy by 2050, but in order to capture this opportunity, rapid change is needed and the time to act is now.
“We must work together to deliver the radical solutions required for a hard-to-abate industry like aviation so we can protect and maximise the benefits that it brings to the UK economy and society and that we know British consumers want to be preserved.”
Sabine Klauke, Chief Technology Officer at Airbus, said:
“As Airbus continues to mature the aircraft technologies needed to deliver hydrogen-powered flight, a united industry voice is needed to secure a robust ecosystem of renewably sourced hydrogen. Joining our peers from across the UK aviation landscape in a targeted approach to policy and investment action brings us closer to a decarbonised future of flying.”
High time for hydrogen: The benefits
Whilst decarbonising aviation poses a significant challenge to the industry, hydrogen remains one of several available technologies and approaches.
It has potential as a fuel source for aviation, as hydrogen (particularly green hydrogen) produces no carbon emissions.
A 2021 UK government report revealed that developing a hydrogen economy could support 9,000 jobs by 2030 and up to 100,000 by 2050 across the UK. As the UK aviation industry contributes £22bn to GDP and employs over 230,000, investing in hydrogen could provide a sizeable boost to the industry in terms of job creation.
