Hydrogen in Aviation (HIA) brings together leading organisations operating across the aviation and energy ecosystem, working together to support the delivery of zero carbon flight. Harnessing the group’s diverse industry expertise, the HIA is focussed on ensuring that the UK maintains its position as a global leader in aviation, by developing and advocating for the policies needed to support the transition to a future with hydrogen-powered flight.
Hydrogen will be key to decarbonising aviation, and the UK is uniquely placed to seize the benefits of hydrogen-powered flight. The UK’s growth-driving aerospace sector provides a clear economic advantage over other countries and is a success story for innovation, intellectual property, jobs and exports.
We believe the future of aviation can be made in the UK. The UK is home to some of the most innovative companies advancing hydrogen-powered aviation, with an established regulator, airports and airlines that can facilitate the introduction of new technology. For hydrogen-powered flights to take off, we now need the Government’s support to adopt and scale these new technologies across the industry.
Airbus
Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The company constantly innovates to provide the most efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defence, and connected services. In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers the most modern and fuel-efficient airliners. Airbus is also a European leader in defence and security and one of the world’s leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
Airbus’ ambition is to bring to market the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. To get there, their ZEROe project is exploring a variety of configurations and technologies, as well as preparing the ecosystem that will produce and supply the hydrogen. Airbus is meeting a number of technology and testing milestones as it moves towards its ambition of bringing to market. Many of these milestones revolve around establishing the means of propulsion, either with hybrid hydrogen-electric fuel cells or direct hydrogen combustion. Airbus believes the deployment of hydrogen infrastructure at airports is a prerequisite to support the widespread scale-up and adoption of hydrogen aircraft. They are partnering with hydrogen producers and distributors worldwide, airports and airlines to build the right ecosystem to operate a hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport is England’s third largest regional airport, connecting the Southwest of England and South Wales with more than 120 destinations. The Airport have taken a leading position on sustainability, becoming the first in the country to target net zero carbon operations by 2030 and to set an interim carbon target.
Bristol Airport is here to connect the people and communities of their region to new places, new experiences, and to enable visitors from all over the world to experience this wonderful region for themselves. They are committed to doing this in a responsible way. This includes creating a great place for people to work, mitigating their environmental impacts and emissions, and supporting the region to thrive socially and economically. Their vision is to be everyone’s favourite airport, delivering a future we can all be proud of.
easyJet
easyJet is Europe’s leading airline offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe’s primary airports with great value fares and friendly service.
easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried more than 93 million passengers in 2025. The airline has over 350 aircraft flying over 1,200 routes to more than 160 airports across 37 countries.
easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in eight countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline supports several local charities and has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised nearly £17m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.
In 2022, easyJet published its roadmap to net zero by 2050, updated in FY25 to reflect the latest fleet plan. The roadmap, which also features a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon removal technology, has set an ambitious interim carbon emissions intensity reduction target of 35% by 2035, validated by the Science-based targets initiative (SBTi). The airline’s ultimate aim is to fully transition its fleet to zero carbon emission technology, which it will achieve through a number of strategic partnerships including with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and GKN Aerospace Solutions. Since 2000, the airline has successfully reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometre by one-third.
Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – since launching over 30 years ago, easyJet changed the way people fly to the present day where the airline leads the industry in digital and operational innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for its passengers.
In 2023 easyJet was named by TIME as one of the World’s Best Companies and a Leader in Diversity 2024 by The Financial Times.
GKN Aerospace
GKN Aerospace is the original aerospace innovator. For decades, GKN Aerospace technologies have inspired and industrialised the aerospace industry, combining engineering excellence and technology leadership.
Today GKN Aerospace is truly global, with 16,000 employees in 32 manufacturing locations in 12 countries around the world. All major aircraft and engine manufacturers rely on their advanced technologies. Their aerostructures, engine systems and special products improve the performance of more than 100,000 flights every day.
By working closely together with universities, knowledge institutes, suppliers and customers, GKN lead the industry in developing new technology to improve aircraft efficiency: lowering aircraft cost, weight and emissions.
They set the standard in highlighting the unlimited possibilities of additive manufacturing (AM) for the aerospace industry and are currently at the cutting-edge of technology leadership worldwide. Today, GKN Aerospace has five global centres of excellence that enable the most advanced aircraft to take to the sky with ground-breaking AM components.
GKN Aerospace’s operational excellence and high volume production capabilities are now driving the global development towards more automation, higher performance and smart industry solutions. The result is shorter production lead times and more affordability for our global customers.
Every day, around the world, GKN helps help aircraft fly further, faster and greener.
Intelligent Energy
Intelligent Energy (IE) is a leading independent fuel cell manufacturer built on 30 years’ experience in the development and manufacture of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell power systems. The company manufactures a range of lightweight, reliable, zero-emission fuel cell systems – from 800W to multi-MW – for sectors including automotive, aerospace, data centres, material handling, power generation, telecoms and UAVs. Intelligent Energy is headquartered in the UK with partners and distributors supporting them worldwide.
IE-FLIGHT is Intelligent Energy’s hydrogen fuel cell product line for the aviation sector. Hydrogen fuel cells offer a zero-emission power source for future sustainable aircraft and are a competitive technology for aircraft potentially up to 100 seats.
Intelligent Energy’s HEIGHTS programme is fast tracking the development of lightweight aerospace fuel cell systems and their thermal systems for next‑generation aircraft.
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc
Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. It is at the centre of UK aerospace and defence and its products and service packages enable its customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together; they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries; and enable governments to equip their armed forces with the power required to protect their citizens.
Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising of more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. The company is committed to making its products compatible with net zero carbon emissions to meet customer demand for more sustainable solutions.