Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus and Japanese company Kansai Airports have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly investigate the use of hydrogen as an aircraft fuel at Kansai’s three airports. The latter’s airports are Kansai International Airport, Kobe Airport (which handles only domestic flights) and Osaka International Airport.  

“We are very pleased to have Kansai Airports, one of Japan’s major airport groups, on board,” highlighted Airbus North Asia head and Airbus Japan president Stéphane Ginoux. “Hydrogen is one of the most promising zero-emission technologies as it can be created from renewable energy and does not produce emissions. Renewable hydrogen will help decarbonise not only aircraft but also all airport-associated ground transport.”

“We have set a target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 for the three airports we operate, and this partnership with leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus will help us reach this goal,” affirmed Kansai Airports representative director and co-CEO Yoshiyuki Yamaya. “We are glad to extend here in Japan the joint efforts between Airbus and our shareholder VINCI Airports, leading the introduction of hydrogen in airports, to decarbonise air transport,” added Kansai Airports representative director and co-CEO Benoit Rulleau.

Under the MoU, Airbus and Kansai will work together to develop a roadmap to define an advocacy plan for adopting hydrogen and meet the challenges such a move will pose. Together, they will lead an aviation hydrogen infrastructure development study. The two companies will make use of their complementary expertise. Airbus will supply information on aircraft characteristics, energy usage by aircraft fleets, and insights of hydrogen-powered aircraft (relevant to ground operations). Kansai will focus on the airport infrastructure needed to support the introduction of hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Airbus already has MoUs on developing hydrogen as an aviation fuel with other airport groups around the world, including Kansai shareholder VINCI Airports. VINCI, domiciled in France, owns and/or operates 53 airports in 11 countries, including, via Kansai, Japan. The other countries in which VINCI operates are Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, France, Portugal, Serbia, the UK and the US.