Dublin, Ireland-based aircraft leasing specialist Avolon has announced it is partnering with Airbus through its ZEROe project to explore the financing and commercialisation of Hydrogen-powered aircraft.
The announcement came at the Farnborough International Airshow and highlights the ambitions of both partners to meet the industry’s decarbonisation goals.
Avolon is already investing heavily in decarbonisation with its research into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production and investment in eVTOL developer Vertical Aerospace.
Paul Geaney, President and Chief Commercial Officer, Avolon, commented: “Joining the ZEROe Project is another step in Avolon’s sustainability journey, and we look forward to building on our long-standing partnership with Airbus to consider how the next generation of aircraft will be financed and commercialised.
“It will take a wide ecosystem of contributors to meet the challenges of hydrogen-powered commercial flight, and Airbus is playing a crucial role in bringing partners together. While we continue to focus on supporting our customers in modernising their fleets with lower emissions aircraft, it is also vital we look beyond that at what can further drive our industry’s decarbonisation.”
Airbus announced its ZEROe Hydrogen aircraft project in 2020 and is leading the way on research into the technology required for hydrogen flight.
Glenn Llewellyn, Vice-President ZEROe Project, Airbus, commented: “There is real value in bringing together industry leaders to help solve the challenges facing aviation. We know we can’t solve decarbonisation alone and welcome Avolon’s expertise and worldwide leadership in the aircraft leasing
business. Working together to consider how the transition can be commercialised and financed for airline customers is crucial to success.”
Avolon already works with 142 airlines in 63 countries and operates a global fleet of 1,029 aircraft.