London Gatwick Hydrogen Hub: a new partnership to accelerate on hydrogen airports

Image copyright: Airbus, Artist rendering – ZEROe hydrogen-powered aircraft at London Gatwick Airport

• Airbus, easyJet, Air Products, and London Gatwick to work together to establish how hydrogen infrastructure – including to fuel new types of aircraft – could be introduced at the airport.
• Airbus is developing new short-haul hydrogen powered aircraft – aiming for them to enter commercial service from 2035.
• London Gatwick, Lyon-Saint Exupery, and Kansai Airports have formed Hydrogen Hubs in partnership with Airbus, as part of the VINCI Airports’ decarbonisation strategy to develop carbon-free hydrogen infrastructure.

Committed to support and accelerate on the decarbonation of air transport, VINCI Airports is acting to develop the use of hydrogen in airports.

To accelerate on that way, London Gatwick, Airbus, easyJet and Air Products, – one of the world’s largest hydrogen producers-, have today formed the London Gatwick Hydrogen Hub.

The partners will now work together to establish how infrastructure to supply hydrogen – including to fuel new types of aircraft – could be introduced across the airport in an important first step toward possible zero-carbon flights from London Gatwick.

Airbus launched the ‘Hydrogen Hub at Airports’ programme to jumpstart research into infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations.  The programme is a prerequisite to support the widespread scale-up and adoption of zero emission hydrogen-powered aircraft, which Airbus aims to bring into commercial service from 2035.

Because early hydrogen-powered aircraft will initially focus on short to medium haul routes, London Gatwick’s position as the UK’s leading hub for these services, along with easyJet’s operational insight as a short haul carrier, makes the London Gatwick Hydrogen Hub an ideal testbed for R&D into this critical support infrastructure.

Under Airbus’ Hydrogen Hubs at Airports framework, the scope of work covers liquid hydrogen supply and storage at the airport, refuelling and ground handling of hydrogen aircraft, as well as the exploration of other, shorter-term opportunities for using hydrogen at London Gatwick.

Following today’s announcement, London Gatwick, Lyon-Saint Exupery, and Kansai Airports have formed Hydrogen Hubs in partnership with Airbus, as part of the VINCI Airports’ decarbonisation strategy to develop carbon-free hydrogen infrastructure.

Recently, VINCI Airports announced its participation in the GOLIAT project, an innovative aviation hydrogen handling and refuelling project, led by Airbus and supported by academic partners, airport operators and leading hydrogen-industry companies. Its objective is to demonstrate small-scale liquid hydrogen aircraft ground operations at three European airports. By 2027, Lyon-Saint Exupery airport will receive and conclude the demo of this pilot project with a first Hydrogen Plane. Meanwhile, airports operated by VINCI Airports in Portugal are also involved in the technical studies of this project for the futures infrastructures that will be required.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, London Gatwick, said: “Alongside 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. In parallel, we’ve accelerated our plans and aim to be net zero for the emissions we control – Scope 1 and 2 – ten years early, by 2030. We still have a long way to go and a lot of hard work to do, but today’s exciting partnership is an important early step toward reaching our net zero ambitions.”

Airbus Vice President 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.”