Sustainability shift – two airports combine to aid introduction of hydrogen and electric aircraft
For many years now it has been official policy at European level to "encourage" travellers to use the train over short distances, especially domestically, rather than air services.
That diktat has reared its ugly head again recently with the decision of the French government to ban domestic air travel on specified routes where rail travel can be undertaken in two and a half hours.
There didn't seem to be any opportunity for the aviation industry, which is on the ropes over this issue, to fight back. But it appears that there are 'alliances' forming across Europe to create the optimal solution to enable electric or hydrogen powered flights rapidly, and possibly as soon as 2026.
This report deals with just two of them; one combining Hamburg and Rotterdam airports with local firms, the other hinged on Groupe ADP and companies in the supply chain there.
- Two sets of local alliances in northern Europe are working on projects to have electric-powered or hydrogen-powered commercial flights at their airports, potentially as soon as 2026.
- The alliances aim to create an optimal solution to enable environmentally friendly flights and compete with rail travel for short-haul distances.
- Regions in Scandinavia, such as Sweden and Norway, are also actively involved in developing sustainable aviation solutions.
- The alliances formed by airports, manufacturers, and supply chain companies could pose a challenge to major aircraft manufacturers.
- The range, speed, and capacity of electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft are still limited but are gradually improving.
- Groupe ADP, the parent company of Paris airports, has partnered with six leaders in carbon-free regional aviation to accelerate the introduction of electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft at its airports before 2030.
Summary
- Two sets of local alliances in northern Europe are working on projects to have electric-powered or hydrogen-powered commercial flights at their airports; they could happen as soon as 2026.
- The only case that can be made for short haul air travel in Europe these days is for them to be flown by these 'environmentally friendly' aircraft... otherwise, it's all aboard the train.
- Regions are already getting in on the act, especially in Scandinavia.
- These 'localised' alliances of airports, manufacturers and the supply chain could pose a challenge to the big aircraft companies.
- Range, speed and capacity still appear to be restricted, but there is clearly a shift towards an optimum solution that can more than match what rail can offer over short to medium distances.
Hamburg and Rotterdam airports and assorted other companies join forces to explore hydrogen-powered air service
With two recent announcements, Northern Europe seems to be the epicentre of activity towards introducing alternative forms of energy for commercial airliners.
Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt, Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTHA), Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport, and Hamburg Aviation signed an MoU on 21-Jun-2023 to explore the feasibility of hydrogen-powered air service between Hamburg and Rotterdam. The agreement includes cooperation on areas that include the development of infrastructure, renewable energy production, employee training and smart airport technologies, with the goal of launching a hydrogen flight as soon as 2026.
Making the case is critical when rail is the preferred establishment option for short journeys
Hamburg and Rotterdam have two of the largest ports in Europe, and this is not the first time that innovative solutions have been proposed to connect them by air, for example, to facilitate crew rostering.
On the other hand, flights between two cities that are so close together go against the grain of the current thinking in Europe, where rail travel is 'preferred' - to put it mildly - for distances of 600km or less.
Hamburg and Rotterdam, location in Europe
The distance between the two cities by air is 415km.
Down and out in Paris and London: hub airports are in the sights of environmentalists - part two, a recent CAPA report, highlighted the plans to ban some short haul domestic air services in France in favour of rail.
Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport (RHIA) is a community of companies, research institutions and governments.
Hamburg Aviation is the aviation cluster of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region.
First flight possibly by 2026
The MoU includes cooperation in the development of infrastructure for the use of hydrogen. As part of the collaboration, 2026 is assumed to be the possible date of a first hydrogen flight. The parties involved assume that there will be such commercial flights between the cities of Hamburg and Rotterdam in the future.
In addition to the development of hydrogen technologies, the MoU also includes cooperation on other technologies, including digitised airports and digital aviation, the production of renewable energy and infrastructure, specialised employee training and smart technologies at the airport. The framework of the cooperation also includes a more in-depth cooperation in the field of sustainable airport operations. In this area, the two airports RTHA and HAM "have made important progress."
Michael Eggenschwiler, Chief Executive Officer of Hamburg Airport said, "As Flughafen Hamburg GmbH, we have set ourselves the goal of reducing our fossil CO2 emissions to zero in twelve years with the Net Zero 2035 climate protection programme - as the first major commercial airport in Germany. Part of this strategy is to work with other cooperation partners to enable 'green' flying as quickly as possible, including with hydrogen-based technologies. The planned hydrogen flight route between Hamburg and Rotterdam is a very good example of how strong partners can join forces to develop and implement sustainable aviation using practical examples."
Wilma van Dijk, Managing Director of Rotterdam The Hague Airport, added, "We have far-reaching ambitions to make our airport more sustainable and make a strong contribution to sustainable aviation. By sharing both our growing expertise in hydrogen infrastructure and operations and our innovative real-world laboratory, we are ensuring that the parties involved work together in the best possible way to accelerate the energy transition in aviation. We are therefore very proud to be part of this collaboration, which will enable the first hydrogen flight between Rotterdam and Hamburg in a few years' time."
One of the first collaborations of its kind in Europe
Ralf Gust, Managing Director of the Hamburg Aviation cluster network, described it as "one of the first collaborations of its kind in Europe, an initiative that shows the intention of two European airports to embark on the path to a flight path for hydrogen-powered aircraft and to explore the steps necessary to implement this idea. Hamburg and Rotterdam are both centres of aeronautical research in the field of hydrogen, so this partnership is ideal for exploring what is needed to establish flight paths for hydrogen aircraft."
Hamburg was the 37th busiest airport in Europe in 2019, whereas Rotterdam did not feature in the Top 100.
Passenger traffic growth during the past decade was greater at Rotterdam, but from a smaller base.
Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt annual traffic: passenger numbers/growth, 2012- 2023
Rotterdam The Hague Airport annual traffic: passenger numbers/growth, 2012-2023
Groupe ADP partners with leaders in carbon-free aviation to hasten electric and hydrogen aircraft at the Paris airports
Meanwhile, on the same day (21-Jun-2023), Groupe ADP (the parent company of the Paris airports and others throughout the world) partnered with six leaders in carbon-free regional aviation (Pipistrel, VoltAero, Universal Hydrogen, ZeroAvia, BeyondAero and Daher) to accelerate the introduction of electric-powered and hydrogen-powered aircraft at Paris Le Bourget Airport, Paris Orly Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport before 2030.
The company will work alongside the partners to: identify potential substitutes for existing flights; consolidate the need for new energies and identify necessary facilities; define supply chains, logistics and aircraft fuelling and infrastructure; and collaborate with regulatory authorities.
The parties' aircraft will range from two- to 100-seat equipment, designed to serve radial, regional and short haul routes in Europe.
Still open to other firms to join in
Over the next year Groupe ADP will be working alongside its partners to make progress on these points, and other companies may join the alliance.
Each of the manufacturers, with its own specific features, is helping to make possible the transition of the sector in the very short term, which will be based on the following:
The electrification of general aviation fleets is already under way, with Pipistrel's Velis Electro at the forefront.
The Velis Electro is:
- 100% electric
- Passengers: 2 seats
- Cruise speed: 167km/h
- Range: up to 50nm
- Certification horizon: EASA since 2020
Hydrogen technologies, thanks in particular to the conversion and retrofit of regional aircraft, with technologies developed by Universal Hydrogen, ZeroAvia and Beyond Aero are playing their part as follows:
- Hydrogen engine
- Passengers: 56 seats
- Range: 1,000km
- Certification horizon: 2025
- Hydrogen engine
- Passengers: 90 seats
- Range: 1900km
- Certification horizon: 2027
Beyond Aero's One BYA-1
- Hydrogen engine
- Passengers: 4 to 8 seats
- Cruise speed: 575 km/h
- Range: 1500km
- Certification horizon: by 2029
Additionally, there are numerous hybrids, with aircraft using electric power and sustainable fuels developed by VoltAero, such as the VoltAero Cassio 330, Cassio 480 and Cassio 600, also by Daher, with between four and 12 seats and a range from 200km to 1200km.
Groupe ADP has undertaken specific actions with each manufacturer to accelerate their integration on its platforms and the marketing of their aircraft.
These measures include deploying a network of self-service electric terminals at airfields in the Paris region to support fleet conversion; measuring the aircraft's acoustic impact; tests to be carried out to demonstrate the entire logistics of hydrogen capsules under real operating conditions; studies and future developments to enable the supply of liquid or gaseous hydrogen at Paris-Le Bourget airport; substitution studies that reveal potential for over 15% of aircraft at Paris-Le Bourget; and identifying an airport (Toussus-le-Noble) to be the site of a test centre for the technological building blocks of the electric-propulsion aircraft.
Another 'one of its kind' alliance
The alliance is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world to develop carbon-free regional aviation, and Groupe ADP declares itself committed to providing the appropriate infrastructures connected to the entire airport ecosystem, without which these new aircraft would not be able to integrate into the landscape of the Paris region hubs.
Soon after, Groupe ADP also signed, with Autoflight, an MoU to trial electric take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) on Pontoise Vertiport during the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Limited range, few seats, the old story; but if all these attributes can be combined…
These measures may appear on the surface to be doing no more than scratching the surface of the issue, when some of the aircraft have only a handful of seats and the range is very limited.
It is a little like the difficulty manufacturers still have in convincing drivers to opt for limited-range electric vehicles when there are often issues with the relatively few electricity supply units that are accessible even today.
Even so, up to 90 seats, a range approaching 2,000 km and speeds approaching 600km/hour are not to be sniffed at. Combine those attributes into a certificated aircraft by 2026 and the hydrogen/electric dream will have taken a dramatic step towards reality.
Northern mainland Europe is where it is happening and the Scandinavians are in on the act
It looks as if northern France, The Netherlands and Germany are going to be the continuing centre of this rush towards cleaner, greener aviation, but at the same time places like Sweden and Norway can't be overlooked - countries that have always taken a lead on these matters.
Also in Jun-2023, the Swedish Braathens Regional Airlines (BRA) announced that it had developed "a vision" to transform Stockholm Bromma Airport into a hub for "future aviation."
BRA envisages that Bromma Airport will continue to operate after 2038 (the city council had decided to close it down for housing, but that decision had been overturned by the incoming central government), but that it will be transformed into a hub where electric aircraft, cargo drones and eVTOL passenger aircraft form a new transport system for domestic and regional air traffic.
The airline presented the following concepts which describe its vision:
- Braathens Shuttle: a vision to connect the Stockholm region and Sweden throughout with new eVTOLs and autonomous cargo drones.
- Bromma Park 2038: sketch of a conceptual urban planning for a new smart city together with Europe's first purely electric airport.
The government's decision to keep Bromma Airport open and to designate it for future aviation research was documented in Stockholm Bromma Airport escapes becoming housing estate: part one - possible electric aviation hub, a CAPA report from Mar-2023.
Meanwhile, in Norway the intention is to have all domestic air routes operated by electric aircraft by 2040 - a date that is likely to be brought forward as these technologies improve.
And there will be more new players surfacing as these projects heat up. They will inevitably include the major aircraft manufacturers, which have their plans and investments but which risk being left behind if groups of airports and associated local firms combine to offer the optimal solution locally.
Indeed, the race is very much on now to be the first airport to host the first electric-powered or hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft and it could be a lot sooner than anyone imagined.
Sustainability and the environment - executive insights
CAPA TV discussed the hot topics of the environment and sustainability with industry executives during the Jun-2023 International Air Transport Association (IATA) AGM in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The environment and sustainability - executive insights from the IATA 2023 AGM