An Adelaide University-led study has reviewed international research on green hydrogen as a potential aviation fuel, identifying infrastructure, safety and policy issues that would need to be resolved before commercial adoption.
Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, generating around 14% of transport emissions, according to European Commission figures cited in the release. The sector is widely seen as difficult to decarbonise because alternatives to conventional jet fuel remain limited at scale.
The review, conducted with Hong Kong Polytechnic University, analysed 138 international studies published between 2015 and 2025 to assess progress in green hydrogen production and what would be required to make it commercially viable for use as jet fuel.
Lead author Zahra Jaffary, a PhD candidate at Adelaide University, said the technology is viable but uncertainties remain around feasibility, deployment and wider implications across the aviation sector.
Jaffary said the review found a need for airport-specific case studies to compare onsite, offsite and hybrid hydrogen supply models, and for better forecasting of future airport fuel demand, including how refuelling systems could work within space constraints.
The study also pointed to the need for policy frameworks and regulatory measures to support a shift to hydrogen at the airport level. It highlighted safety considerations, including hydrogen’s wide flammability range and low ignition energy, which would require revised design standards, leak detection and operational procedures for aircraft and airport environments.
Co-researcher Professor Shane Zhang said airports would have limited commercial incentive to invest in hydrogen infrastructure without clear signals from airlines and governments, arguing that targeted policies, incentives and regulation would be needed to provide investment certainty.
