The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a domino effect across several industries. The aviation market has notably been affected, seeing flight cancellations, diversions, and demand shifts amid safety concerns, airspace bans, and sanctions. One field that is particularly being impacted is fuel. While there has been a motive to shift to alternative energy sources for a while, the current crisis is catalyzing the transition.
Addressing concerns
Jet fuel prices rose to a near 14-year high last week. Amid the sensitive conditions, we've already seen fuel scarcity occur in key markets such as Nigeria, leaving passengers stranded. Rates are expected to increase, with a fuel surcharge spike of 15% expected this summer. Additionally, several airlines have had to change their route maps as they are unable to refuel at their usual spots.
There has been an industry-wide mission to take on alternative fuel solutions in recent years. SAFs currently dominate this space, but manufacturers and airlines alike have been heavily experimenting with hydrogen and electric technology.
The motivation of this route has primarily been that of sustainability. While there are clear environmental benefits to be had, the war in Ukraine is an example of how there needs to be a shift away from the traditional process.
Taking action
Founded in 2017, ZeroAvia completed the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell-backed flight of a commercial-grade aircraft in 2020 and has continued to scale up its initiatives since. The likes of United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and British Airways are all heavily involved in the British-American firm’s programs, looking to introduce hydrogen aircraft solutions by the time the 2030s arrive.
ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Miftakhov spoke with Simple Flying about the benefits of a hydrogen approach. Notably, the process is far more localized than standard jet fuel systems.
“What we are highlighting to airport networks is that with green hydrogen, especially, you can localize the production of fuel. You just need electricity and a little water to produce fuel on site at the airport. That's so much different from today's value chain of hydrocarbon production and jet fuel production, which starts somewhere else a lot of times and in unstable regions of the world. Recent events are a great illustration of that a huge supply chain, with transports over the ocean, oil tankers landing on the processing plants, oil refineries, transportation pipelines, all of that, experiencing widespread issues.”
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Industry-wide mission
Miftakhov added that aside from the detrimental climate impact, the complexity and risk of the supply chain caused several aviation firms significant challenges over the years. This is a factor that traces itself back to the early days of the jet age.
“How many airlines went bust because of fuel prices? A lot! So, all of that is now reduced to local production of fuel, based on a very stable source of energy, which is electricity. We have electric grids, which are multi-fuel. We have pretty reliable electric supplies across the globe, and they are becoming more and more renewable. Many countries are already at or close to 50% renewable power production from solar, wind, geothermal, and such. We think this is a much better for business and especially for aviation.”
The Royal Schiphol Group is an airport powerhouse that sees significant potential in hydrogen to bring zero-emission flights. It's working with ZeroAvia to launch the first hydrogen-powered flight from Rotterdam to London in 2024. Across the industry, Airbus is working on building a hydrogen network, with Lyon Airport being the first site to pilot the program.
Overall, there have been numerous international crises over the decades that have impacted the price and availability of jet fuel. From the 1970s oil embargo to the invasion of Ukraine, the industry has found it hard to adapt to political and social conditions. Therefore, the market will be keen to take advantage of new technology in this new era.
What are your thoughts about ZeroAvia’s hydrogen ambitions? What do you make of the progress the company has made since its founding? Let us know what you think of the firm and its prospects in the comment section.