Airbus and Avolon Collaborate on Future of Hydrogen Aviation

Hydrogen Horizon: Airbus and Avolon Join Forces

Airbus has announced a new partnership with aircraft lessor Avolon to study the potential of hydrogen-powered aircraft. This collaboration with an operating lessor marks the first for the ZEROe Project.

The announcement was made at the Farnborough Airshow. Airbus and Avolon disclosed their plans to investigate how future hydrogen-powered aircraft could be financed and commercialized and how the leasing business model might support them.

Airbus is dedicating significant resources to exploring the introduction of hydrogen-powered aircraft in the industry and their practical implementation at airports and by airlines. Developing a viable hydrogen ecosystem is crucial to achieving the industry’s goal of nearly zero emissions.

Paul Geaney, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Avolon, stated, “Joining the ZEROe Project is another step in Avolon’s sustainability journey. We look forward to building on our long-standing partnership with Airbus to consider how the next generation of aircraft will be financed and commercialized. Overcoming the challenges of hydrogen-powered commercial flight will require a wide ecosystem of contributors, and Airbus is playing a crucial role in bringing partners together. While it continues to focus on supporting its customers in modernizing their fleets with lower-emission aircraft, it is also vital to look beyond that at what can further drive the industry’s decarbonization.”

Glenn Llewellyn, Airbus Vice President of the ZEROe Project, said, “Bringing industry players together to help solve aviation challenges holds significant value. We recognize that decarbonization cannot be achieved alone and welcome Avolon’s expertise and worldwide leadership in the aircraft leasing business. Collaborating to consider how the transition can be commercialized and financed for airline customers is crucial to success.”

Airbus is actively engaging with key regional and international partners to facilitate the development of the hydrogen ecosystem, an essential step towards getting hydrogen-powered aircraft in the air and helping meet global aviation decarbonization targets.

Additionally, Airbus has launched the “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” program to promote the further expansion of hydrogen infrastructure in aviation. To date, 18 Hydrogen Hubs at Airports have been launched, and the Airbus ZEROe team is also actively engaged with more than ten airlines to jointly study the deployment of hydrogen-powered aircraft in the future.

Established in 2010, Avolon has built a leading position in the global aircraft leasing industry and is ideally positioned to work with Airbus on exploring the potential of hydrogen aviation.