Airbus and ZeroAvia are collaborating on hydrogen hubs at leading Canadian airports

For the first time in Canada, a feasibility study of this scale was conducted to pioneer the introduction of hydrogen for aviation at three airports. It reflects the partners’ shared ambition to leverage their respective expertise to support the decarbonization of the aviation industry (ICAO, ATAG and IATA) and to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Air transport has a prime position in the country due to its extensive geographical location. Not only does it connect to international cities, but it is also an important means of providing critical connectivity within the country. Commercial flights in Canada enable the flow of goods, investments, people and ideas that are essential engines of economic growth.

Assuming a “current trends” scenario, air transportation in Canada is projected to grow by 51% over the next 20 years. This would result in an additional 39.8 million passenger trips by 2037 (Source IATA Economics)

This collaboration will provide a better understanding of hydrogen aircraft concepts and operations, supply, infrastructure and airport refueling needs, with the goal of developing a hydrogen aviation ecosystem across the country.

“We are bringing together Canada’s largest airports, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer and a leading innovator in low-emission engine technology to accelerate the transition to hydrogen aviation. ZeroAvia flight tests show that hydrogen-powered commercial aviation is a 2030 prospect, so we must start working hard to prepare the hydrogen infrastructure necessary to support the aviation industry and airports as they enter the new golden era of clean flight,” said Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia.

The work will also support the development of regulations and standards. Montreal is the home city of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and cooperation is a key enabler of the global framework.

Tamara Vrooman, president and CEO of Vancouver International Airport, said: “We know that when it comes to climate change, aviation is not the enemy, coal is. Exploring the feasibility of airports as hydrogen hubs is an important step on the path to net zero carbon emissions.

“The collaboration between Airbus, ZeroAvia and three of Canada’s largest airports will help identify the changes required in our industry and support the ecosystem to achieve carbon reduction goals.”

Using hydrogen to power future aircraft is expected to not only significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the air, but could also help decarbonize air transportation activities on the ground. In 2020, Airbus presented the first ZEROe concept, the ambition of which is to introduce the world’s first commercial hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035. Work on the appropriate technology modules is currently underway in the global research and technology network.

Airbus has also launched the Airport Hydrogen Hub program to accelerate research into infrastructure requirements and low-emission airport operations across the value chain. So far, agreements have been announced with partners and airports in ten countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. ZEROe is committed to growing its hydrogen visibility and partnership network in North America. Therefore, there is a strong need to recruit partners in the region.

ZeroAvia is working to develop a hydrogen fuel ecosystem to support clean propulsion systems at airports, developing unique production, storage and dispensing technologies and working with airport partners to plan for hydrogen operations in the near future.

Airbus has operated in Canada for 40 years and employs more than 4,500 people across 10 plants and offices of Airbus and its subsidiaries, raising approximately C$2 billion annually from Canadian companies. Canada is also home to the A220 aircraft, with the main final assembly lines, pre-assembly line, and main program, engineering and customer service offices located in Mirabel, Quebec.