A deal with Birmingham airport could pave the way for the introduction of zero-emission holiday flights within four years.
The airport plans to develop hydrogen refuelling facilities as part of a plan with UK green energy aviation start-up ZeroAvia.
The collaboration opens up the possibility of green air travel from Birmingham to destinations like Glasgow, Aberdeen, Belfast and Dublin by the middle of the decade.
ZeroAvia is aiming to get an emissions-free 80-seat aircraft flying up to 1,000 nautical miles by 2027 in a move that the firm says would make zero-emission travel to Mediterranean holiday destinations a reality.
The company is currently working on bringing to market a zero-emission system capable of flying 20-seat aircraft 300 nautical miles by 2025.
Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers, with the only byproduct being water, according to ZeroAvia
The Anglo-US start-up is also working with Rotterdam airport on plans to introduce hydrogen-electric commercial passenger flights by 2025.
Birmingham airport described the the partnership as forming an important part of a journey to become a net-zero-carbon airport by 2033.
The airport plans to use an area near to its disused Elmdon terminal building as a potential location for hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, testing and operations.
ZeroAvia infrastructure vie president Arnab Chatterjee said: “Birmingham airport can be a central spoke in a green flight network in the UK, given that any domestic mainland destination will be reachable from the airport using our first systems in 2025.
“Given the commitments of the Jet Zero Strategy on domestic aviation, it is fantastic to engage with forward-thinking airports that want to be early innovators and developers to deliver the vision of bringing truly clean, quiet and pollution free flights to the UK.”
Airport chief finance and sustainability officer Simon Richards added: “We are thrilled to partner with ZeroAvia on creating solutions to the main challenge of our generation – protecting the future of our planet.
“We could, quite conceivably, see the first hydrogen-powered domestic passenger flight taking off from BHX [Birmingham airport] in the UK in a few years. That’s mind-blowing.”