Aircraft construction - Hamburg Airport joins Airbus hydrogen network
On Friday, Hamburg Airport became the first airport in Germany to join an international Airbus network for the development of an infrastructure for hydrogen-powered aviation. Other partners that Airbus has invited to join the cooperation include airports in France, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand.
"We are delighted that Hamburg Airport is on a par with international hubs such as Paris Charles de Gaulle or Changi Airport Singapore in the crucial preparations for an energy transition in aviation," said Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Germany's fifth-largest airport, at the signing of the cooperation agreement. The world's largest aircraft manufacturer works together with airports, airlines and companies from the energy sector in the "Hydrogen Hub at Airports" network. Hamburg is a favorable location for the developers at Airbus because the Hanseatic city is home to the second-largest Airbus plant after Toulouse in France.
Airbus is currently working on a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft under the project name ZEROe, which should be ready for use by airlines by 2035. "Green" hydrogen produced as a substitute for fossil fuels is seen as one of the beacons of hope in the fight against climate change.
The use of hydrogen as a fuel in aviation requires a completely new infrastructure at as many airports as possible. "Only when there is a sufficiently large network of hydrogen airports will the airlines order the corresponding aircraft and plan connections," said Eggenschwiler. "As the first German airport in the international network, Hamburg Airport is also investing in its future importance as a transportation hub."
Hamburg Airport is already preparing for this today. "Hamburg Airport already has a great deal of experience with hydrogen infrastructure and is a pioneer in this field," said Nicole Dreyer-Langlet, who is responsible for research and technology on the Management Board of Airbus in Germany. "Handling hydrogen-powered aircraft should become just as commonplace as refueling with kerosene is today. We are making our contribution to this as an aircraft manufacturer, but we are dependent on perfect cooperation with the specialists at the airports."
Press release
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- Airports in France, such as Charles de Gaulle, are also part of the international Airbus network for hydrogen-powered aviation development.
- New Zealand, along with airports in Singapore, Japan, and other locations, has been invited to join the cooperation for hydrogen-powered aviation infrastructure with Airbus.
- The energy transition in aviation is a crucial area of preparation for Hamburg Airport, as highlighted by its CEO, Michael Eggenschwiler.
- Airbus, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, is collaborating with airlines, airports, and energy sector companies in the "Hydrogen Hub at Airports" network.
- The second-largest Airbus plant is located in Toulouse, France, but Hamburg is a favorable location due to its status as a major German airport.
- Hydrogen-powered aircraft are currently being developed by Airbus, with a goal of making them available to airlines by 2035 (project name ZEROe).
- Michael Eggenschwiler mentioned that a sufficient network of hydrogen airports is necessary to encourage airlines to order and utilize hydrogen-powered aircraft for their operations.
- Airbus recognizes the importance of perfect cooperation with the specialists at the airports for handling hydrogen-powered aircraft effectively, as pointed out by Nicole Dreyer-Langlet, responsible for research and technology in Airbus's Germany division.
Source: www.stern.de
