Hydrogen planes could be flying from Aberdeen by 2030

By Lottie Hood

November 2 2022, 9:28 am

seven years time. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

Hydrogen planes could be used for short haul flights from Aberdeen and Glasgow by 2030.

AGS Airports, which owns Aberdeen International Airport and Glasgow Airport, has announced it is looking at investing in hydrogen planes.

Signing a deal with ZeroAvia, a maker of zero-emissions airplanes, the company is looking at what is needed to install infrastructure to support the aircrafts.

They have said hydrogen airplanes could be carrying out flights to the Highlands and Islands by 2030.

Need to start preparing airports now

Brian McClean, director of communications and sustainability at AGS Airports, said ZeroAvia have been working on hydrogen planes for “quite some time”.

Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, Mr McClean said: “While they’re making progress on what is going up in the sky, we now need to look at what we need to do on the ground at our airports.

Brian McClean said they are preparing for all future options. Image: Paul Glendall/ DC Thomson.

“And by that I mean how do we generate the hydrogen on site where would it be stored, how do we get it from that storage facility onto the aircraft, what’s even the process of refueling the aircraft.

“So these are all the topics and challenges that we’re going to look at over the course of the next two years.

“With the view then in two years to do a demonstration for a flight with ZeroAvia and one of their hydrogen aircraft.”

While the industry has come under a lot of pressure recently, Mr McClean said “every aspect of the sector is making progress”.

Could offer ‘real social, economic and environmental benefits’

Just before the pandemic, he said the UK sector came together to plan targets for getting 30 million tonnes of C02 down to zero by 2050.

Mr McClean added: “There’s no silver bullet when it comes to decarbonising aviation.

“It’s going to have to take hydrogen electric planes, it’s going to take sustainable aviation fuel which is available now but the problem is there’s just not enough of it and it costs too much.”

He said their airports would have to prepare for all of these options and that they need to start now.

Jenny Gilruth said she would be watching the partnerships progress with interest. Image: Kami Thomson/ DC Thomson.

As well as offering a more sustainable alternative, hydrogen-electric engines are said to have reduced operating costs and a lower noise profile.

Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said the aircrafts could prove to offer many benefits to society

She said: “This is an encouraging development as hydrogen has the potential to be a true zero emission fuel and could play a key role in helping the Scottish aviation sector reach net zero.

“Many of the routes that operate from Glasgow and Aberdeen to airports across the Highlands and Islands are served by small aircraft and real social, economic and environmental benefits could be delivered by cleaner, quieter and lower cost aircraft.

“I congratulate AGS Airports and ZeroAvia on this partnership and will follow its progress with interest.”