Airbus partners with Avolon on hydrogen aviation

Airbus in Toulouse, France, has partnered with aircraft lessor Avolon in Dublin to explore the potential of hydrogen-powered aircraft. This marks the first collaboration of the ZEROe Project with an operating lessor.

The partnership was announced at the Farnborough Airshow, where Airbus and Avolon revealed plans to investigate the financing and commercialization of future hydrogen-powered aircraft. They will also examine how these aircraft can be supported by the leasing business model.

Airbus is dedicating substantial resources to this initiative, aiming to understand the integration of hydrogen-powered aircraft within the industry and their interaction with airports and airlines. Developing a viable hydrogen ecosystem is seen as crucial to achieving the aviation industry’s goal of near-zero emissions.

Hydrogen fuel cells in airplanes work by converting hydrogen gas into electricity through an electrochemical reaction. First, hydrogen gas is stored in high-pressure tanks onboard the airplane. These tanks are designed to safely contain the hydrogen and provide a steady supply to the fuel cell system.