Airbus, easyJet, and London Gatwick Join Global Hydrogen Hub Network

Airbus, easyJet, London Gatwick, and Air Products, the world’s largest hydrogen supplier, have announced a collaborative effort to enhance hydrogen capability and infrastructure in the UK. This partnership is a crucial step towards Airbus’s goal of flying a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035.

Building Hydrogen Infrastructure

Under Airbus’s Hydrogen Hubs at Airports framework, the project will focus on establishing the necessary infrastructure for hydrogen flight. This includes liquid hydrogen supply and storage at London Gatwick Airport, refuelling and ground handling of hydrogen aircraft, and exploring additional short-term uses for hydrogen at the airport.

David Morgan, Chief Operating Officer of easyJet, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “Hydrogen is going to play an important role in decarbonising aviation, so we need to lay the groundwork now. The Gatwick hub is a positive signal of the industry’s intent to adapt and work together towards decarbonisation. With support from regulators and policymakers, projects like this will prepare UK airports for a hydrogen transition, critical to achieving our net zero ambitions.”

Strategic Importance of Gatwick and easyJet

London Gatwick’s status as a major hub for short to medium-haul flights, combined with easyJet’s extensive operational experience, makes it an ideal location for this research and development effort. This collaboration underscores a strong commitment to making hydrogen-powered flight a reality by 2035.

Glenn Llewellyn, Vice President of the ZEROe Project at Airbus, stated: “Our licence to operate hinges on finding better ways to fly. Hydrogen is a versatile fuel source for decarbonising the industry. We’ve set ambitious targets to fly on hydrogen by 2035, and this technology needs reliable infrastructure. Sharing knowledge and best practices at airports will be critical for building the right hydrogen ecosystem worldwide.”

Support from London Gatwick and Air Products

Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick, highlighted the airport's commitment: “Alongside Sustainable Aviation Fuels, hydrogen has real potential to help us decarbonise Scope 3 emissions, especially for short-haul aircraft. We aim to be net zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. Today’s partnership is an important early step towards reaching our net zero ambitions.”

Suzanne Lowe, Vice President and General Manager of Air Products, expressed enthusiasm for the project: “We’re incredibly pleased to contribute our decades of hydrogen experience to this project. The Hydrogen Hubs at Airports framework is a key milestone in paving the way for sustainable aviation. Air Products is committed to helping the UK become a leader in low-carbon hydrogen production, including our plans for a large-scale renewable hydrogen facility in Immingham.”

Ongoing Efforts and Future Plans

This partnership builds on the existing collaboration between easyJet and Airbus with Hydrogen South West, an infrastructure ecosystem aiming to bring hydrogen benefits to the South West of England. The consortium will work together to develop the support technology and end-to-end hydrogen supply chain needed for future hydrogen-powered flights.