Bristol Airport, UK’s first airport with hydrogen-fuelled ground operations

Bristol Airport has completed the UK’s first airport trial refuelling ground equipment with hydrogen. Project Acorn, led by easyJet in collaboration with industry partners, successfully tested the safety and efficiency of hydrogen refuelling in a live airport environment.

The trial was in development for over a year and involved many other leading organisations from across aviation, engineering, logistics and academia. These include Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, Cranfield University, Connected Places Catapult (CPC), DHL Supply Chain, Fuel Cell Systems, the IAAPS research institute, Jacobs, Mulag and TCR.

The project utilised hydrogen to refuel and power ground support equipment (GSE), such as baggage tractors servicing aircraft. The data will inform industry standards and regulations for wider hydrogen adoption in aviation, supporting the goal of zero-emission flights.

This groundbreaking trial paves the way for a regulatory framework for airport hydrogen use. It contributes to research on infrastructure and policy changes needed to support future clean aviation technologies.

Read more here.