Picture of the week: Exeter Airport advances hydrogen roadmap after UK first airside trial

Credit: Exeter Airport

Exeter Airport (EXT) has taken a significant step towards hydrogen powered aviation, following the publication of a new technical report into the UK’s first live airside trial of multiple hydrogen fuelled ground support equipment.

The Zero Carbon Turn project, led by Exeter Airport as part of the Regional and City Airports group, brought together Cranfield University, TUI, ULEMCo, Boeing and MULAG, with support from the UK Civil Aviation Authority under its Hydrogen Challenge Sandbox programme.

The trial successfully demonstrated three different hydrogen technologies operating simultaneously during a live turnaround of a TUI Boeing 737. These included a hydrogen internal combustion engine tug, a hydrogen fuel cell baggage tractor and a hybrid hydrogen diesel ground power unit. The project achieved several UK firsts, including the concurrent use of multiple hydrogen fuelled vehicles at a commercial airport and the first use of a hydrogen fuelled ground power unit to power a commercial aircraft in the UK.

While hydrogen powered commercial aircraft are still some years from entering regular service, the trial was designed to build operational knowledge, develop safety cases and generate real world evidence to inform future regulatory and infrastructure planning.

Cranfield University has now published its report into the project, highlighting both the technical feasibility of integrating hydrogen ground equipment into airport operations and the need for broader, longer duration trials. The findings indicate that hydrogen can be safely deployed in the airside environment, but stress the importance of scaling up demonstrations to reflect varied operating conditions and more complex turnaround scenarios.

Dr Thomas Budd, Associate Professor of Airport Decarbonisation at Cranfield University and author of the report, said the greatest value of the project lies in its contribution to the industry’s long term preparedness for hydrogen aircraft. He emphasised the need to expand research into storage solutions, refuelling models and sector wide knowledge sharing to accelerate adoption.

Stephen Wiltshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport, said the trial demonstrated that hydrogen ground equipment can operate safely and effectively in a live airport environment. He noted that regional airports are likely to be among the first to handle hydrogen powered aircraft and are well placed to act as testbeds for emerging technologies.

A further winter trial is scheduled to take place at Exeter Airport this month, in partnership with Cranfield University and ULEMCo. Funded by Connected Places Catapult, the next phase will test a hydrogen powered ground power unit across multiple simulated aircraft turnarounds in colder conditions.

The report concludes that longer duration trials, refined regulatory pathways and coordinated industry collaboration will be essential to bridge the infrastructure gap and support hydrogen’s role in achieving net zero aviation.

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