The aviation industry is taking significant strides in reducing its carbon footprint, with hydrogen emerging as a promising solution. In 2022, aviation contributed 2% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), representing the world’s airlines, has pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This ambitious goal will be realized through sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), carbon offsets, carbon capture, and new technologies, including hydrogen.
Recently, small planes powered by hydrogen fuel cells have made their inaugural test flights over the U.S. West Coast and the English countryside. Aviation startups ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen are at the forefront of this innovation, with plans to begin commercial flights as soon as 2025.
Hydrogen fuel cells are seen as a foundation for larger and more powerful hydrogen-powered aircraft, including jets with combustion engines that burn liquid hydrogen. Both Airbus and Boeing, the leading aircraft manufacturers, are developing hydrogen technologies to meet the growing public demand for action on climate change.
Markets and Markets predicts that hydrogen and electric technology will play a vital role in aviation, forecasting that the hydrogen aircraft market could reach $7.4 billion by 2030—a 98% increase from 2020. Jayant Mukhopadhaya, an aerospace engineer and Berlin-based researcher for ICCT, describes fuel-cell aircraft as a testing ground for the broader use of hydrogen in aviation.
Globally, commercial air travel accounts for over 2% of energy-related CO2 emissions. This number is expected to rise as more oil-fueled planes operate and passenger numbers increase. Airlines and aircraft manufacturers are working to reduce emissions by designing more fuel-efficient engines, electrifying ground operations, and using SAF, derived from used cooking oil, forestry residues, carbon dioxide, and other feedstocks.
