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Green hydrogen could clean up aviation—but airports lag
A review of 138 studies says green hydrogen is viable for aviation, but airports need policy support, safety rules, and long-term planning.
Image: TechXplore
Aviation accounts for around 14% of transport emissions, making it the second-largest source after road transport—and one of the toughest sectors to decarbonize. A new Adelaide University-led study argues that green hydrogen could help push commercial aviation toward net-zero emissions, but only if airports, regulators, and governments start planning now.
The research, conducted with Hong Kong Polytechnic University, reviewed 138 international studies published between 2015 and 2025. Its goal was to assess how far green hydrogen production has advanced and what still needs to happen before it becomes commercially viable as jet fuel.
Lead author Zahra Jaffary, an Adelaide University Ph.D. candidate, said the technology is viable but major questions remain around feasibility, deployment, and broader industry effects.
“Our research identified the current research trends and the immediate priorities needed to fill gaps in understanding.”
According to Jaffary, the next steps include airport-specific case studies to evaluate hydrogen infrastructure, including onsite, offsite, and hybrid supply chain models. The study also calls for urgent work on forecasting future airport fuel demand, understanding spatial limits, and defining what hydrogen refueling systems would actually look like.
Safety is another major issue. Jaffary said hydrogen’s wide flammability range, low ignition energy, and handling requirements mean airports and aircraft will need updated design standards, leak detection systems, and operating procedures.
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Professor Shane Zhang, a co-researcher at Adelaide University, said airports have little reason to fund expensive hydrogen infrastructure without stronger market and policy signals.
“Without clear signals from airlines and governments, airports have little commercial incentive to invest in costly hydrogen infrastructure.”
Zhang said targeted policies, incentives, and regulatory frameworks will be needed to create investment certainty and speed adoption. He added that Australia could be well placed to lead a hydrogen aviation economy because of its renewable energy resources and green hydrogen ambitions.
The study, “Hydrogen-powered aviation: What do we know and where do we go?”, was published in Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice in 2026. Its DOI is 10.1016/j.tra.2026.105067.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via TechXplore
