Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to facilitate the commercialisation of hydrogen-powered aircraft for passengers; and whether she is allocating additional resources for that process.

The Government is supportive of new forms of zero-emission aircraft being brought into commercial use.

The Department for Business and Trade is co-investing with industry through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme in R&D on aerospace technology, including projects focussed on zero emission aircraft. The budget confirmed a five-year extension to the programme with nearly £1bn funding.

In addition, from January 2025 the use of low carbon hydrogen as an aviation fuel is eligible for reward under the SAF mandate where it meets sustainability criteria. The Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge is being supported by a £0.9m grant from the Government’s Regulatory Pioneers Fund. Future government funding will be considered within the ongoing Spending Review.

The Jet Zero Taskforce Expert Group, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia with an interest in aviation decarbonisation, have agreed to establish a dedicated group to unlock barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.

The Department for Transport has not made a comparative assessment of trends in operational trials nor infrastructure development.