London Gatwick To Serve As Pioneering Test Site For Hydrogen-Fueled Aviation With New Hub

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Airbus, easyJet, London Gatwick, and Air Products join forces to create the London Gatwick Hydrogen Hub, advancing zero-carbon hydrogen-powered aviation.

Airbus, easyJet, London Gatwick, and Air Products, a leading global hydrogen producer, have collaborated to create the London Gatwick Hydrogen Hub. This partnership aims to explore and develop the necessary infrastructure to supply hydrogen, paving the way for hydrogen-fueled aircraft and advancing toward zero-carbon flights from London Gatwick.

The ‘Hydrogen Hub at Airports’ initiative, launched by Airbus, is designed to initiate research into the infrastructure and operational requirements for low-carbon airport operations. This program is essential for the widespread adoption of zero-emission hydrogen-powered aircraft, which Airbus plans to introduce to commercial service by 2035.

Given that early hydrogen-powered aircraft will target short to medium-haul routes, London Gatwick’s role as the UK’s premier hub for these services, combined with easyJet’s expertise as a short-haul carrier, positions the London Gatwick Hydrogen Hub as an optimal testing ground for research and development of this vital support infrastructure.

The scope of work under Airbus’ Hydrogen Hubs at Airports framework includes the supply and storage of liquid hydrogen at the airport, refueling, and ground handling of hydrogen aircraft, along with exploring immediate opportunities for hydrogen use at London Gatwick.

London Gatwick, part of the VINCI Airports network, joins Lyon-Saint Exupery and Kansai in forming Hydrogen Hubs in collaboration with Airbus. This initiative aligns with VINCI Airports’ decarbonization strategy to develop carbon-free hydrogen infrastructure across its network of over 70 airports in 14 countries.

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.”

David Morgan, Chief Operating Officer, easyJet, said: “Hydrogen is going to play an important role in decarbonising aviation, so we need to lay the groundwork now to make that happen. The Gatwick hub is another positive signal and demonstrates the industry’s intent to both adapt and work together to reach the common goal of decarbonising aviation. Combined with support from regulators and policymakers, I’ve no doubt that projects like this will act as the building blocks to prepare UK airports for a hydrogen transition – something that will be critical to achieving our net zero ambitions.”

Caroline Stancell, Executive Director Hydrogen, Europe and Africa, Air Products, said: “We’re very pleased to contribute our 65+ years’ experience producing and distributing hydrogen to this exciting project. The Hydrogen Hubs at Airports framework is an important milestone in paving the way for sustainable aviation and future proofing the UK economy. Air Products is committed to help the UK become a global leader in low carbon hydrogen production. We look forward to collaborating with our partners and government on this theme and to unlock further investments in renewable hydrogen. These include our plans for a large-scale renewable hydrogen facility in Immingham.”