Sydney’s Bankstown Airport leads charge to greener flying with hydrogen supply

Bankstown Airport has become the country’s first to provide hydrogen as a fuel source for aircraft in the ongoing march towards more sustainable flying.

The AMSL Aero team of Andrew Moore, Max York and Siobhan Lyndon. Picture: AMSL Aero.

One of Australia’s busiest airports has become the first in the country to provide hydrogen as a fuel source in a major step towards a more sustainable aviation industry.

Sydney’s Bankstown Airport, which had the fourth highest number of aircraft movements in the country in the year to June 30, is supplying hydrogen on-site for AMSL Aero, which is developing an emissions free vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of flying 1000km.

The aircraft known as Vertiia will be test flown using hydrogen next year, ahead of its first commercial flights in 2027.

Bankstown Airport operator Aeria Management Group said it was proud to be the launching pad for the future of aviation in Australia.

Bankstown Airport is one of the country’s top five busiest airports. Picture: Damian Shaw

“We are pleased to partner with AMSL Aero in flying towards a greener future for essential air services, such as medical transfers, firefighting and flight training,” AMG chief executive Daniel Jarosch said.

“Australia has the potential to lead the evolution towards advanced air mobility aircraft which will bring sustainability to the skies and to the ways we travel, live and work, from faster freight deliveries and city commutes to greater connectivity for people in regional and rural areas.”

AMSL Aero CEO Max York said the collaboration with AMG marked a significant milestone in his company’s mission to help decarbonise aviation.

Industry-wide, a target of 2050 has been set to achieve net zero emissions with hydrogen-powered aircraft considered a critical part of that.

Airlines were more focused on sustainable aviation fuel to power large jetliners, but Qantas recently revealed it was exploring alternatives for shorter regional routes, including electric and battery-powered aircraft.

Mr York said hydrogen held immense potential as a clean and efficient fuel for aviation, offering zero emissions, longer distance flights that could significantly reduce the cost and carbon footprint of travel.

“With AMSL Aero and Bankstown Airport leading the charge in adopting hydrogen as aviation fuel, Australia is poised to play a key role in the global transition towards sustainable aviation,” Mr York said.

“This partnership is also a vital step towards our goals to improve the lives of Australians in the bush by enabling long-distance, efficient aeromedical, passenger, cargo and firefighting flights.”

AMSL Aero's Vertiia, the world’s first passenger-capable hydrogen vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, developed in Australia.

Hydrogen was known to be a highly flammable gas, with the potential to cause fires and explosions if not handled properly.

But AMSL chief engineer Andrew Moore said the storage of hydrogen at Bankstown was “no more of a hazard than the natural gas burner in homes”.

“It stores a lot of energy which is why we monitor it very carefully and store it very safely,” said Mr Moore. “We are using liquefied hydrogen stored at lower pressure which means it is no more of an issue than the gas bottles you keep on your patio for your barbecue or that you see at the servo.”

He said hydrogen was considerably safer than avgas, which was “leaded and causes enormous harm”.

“There are hundreds of thousands of hydrogen vehicles across the world on the road, including hundreds of thousands of buses,” Mr Moore said.

“You can go into almost every city in every country and you can find a hydrogen-fuelled bus.”

Up to 20 orders have already been received for the Vertiia from Aviation Logistics, which operates charter flights, mail drops and patient transfer services from seven bases across Australia.

The federal government last month launched a consultation process on incentives needed to develop an Australian renewable fuels industry.

The consultation process is the next step in the development of a low carbon liquid fuel refining industry in Australia following a range of renewable energy incentives announced in the May budget as part of the govern­ment’s Future Made in Australia policy.

The industry consultation period ends on July 12, with plans to use this as the basis for an aviation white paper and the development of the federal government’s net zero road map for the transport and infrastructure sectors.