Airbus, Air Products, EasyJet welcomes London Gatwick to global hydrogen hub network
Airbus has teamed up with London Gatwick, easyJet and Air Products, the world’s largest hydrogen supplier, to expand hydrogen capability and infrastructure in the UK as the manufacturer moves closer to its target of getting a hydrogen-powered aircraft in the sky by 2035.
Standing up the right infrastructure is key to enabling hydrogen flight and this partnership is yet another step towards making this a reality in the UK.
Under Airbus’ Hydrogen Hubs at Airport’s 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.
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 this the ideal testbed for R&D into critical support infrastructure. This collaboration between Airbus, London Gatwick, easyJet and Air Products will serve as a powerful statement of commitment to making hydrogen-powered flight a reality by 2035.
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 practices 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.”
This partnership will add to the ongoing work easyJet and Airbus are doing with Hydrogen South West, an infrastructure ecosystem that aims to bring the benefits of hydrogen to the South West of England.
