Third Hydrogen Airport Conference at Milan Malpensa Airport (Summary)

Hydrogen in Long-term Airport Master Planning

Setting the Scene: Hydrogen and the Future of Aviation

Welcome Address – Michele De Gennaro, Austrian Institute of Technology

The conference opened with a forward-looking address by Michele De Gennaro, who framed hydrogen as a cornerstone of Europe’s pathway toward climate-neutral aviation. Against the backdrop of the European Green Deal and the 2050 climate neutrality target, he highlighted the scale of the challenge facing aviation—and the necessity of disruptive solutions.

Hydrogen, he explained, will play multiple roles in this transition: as a future aircraft fuel, as the foundation for synthetic fuels during the transition period, and as a key enabler for decarbonising airport ground operations. Airports, in this context, are uniquely positioned to evolve beyond transport nodes into integrated energy hubs—places where infrastructure, innovation, and safety-driven experimentation converge.

The day’s programme was designed to bridge vision and implementation, moving from European strategies to concrete infrastructure and operational considerations. The objective was clear: to connect ambition with action and strategy with delivery.

Airports as Enablers of the Transition

Welcome Words – Alessandro Fidato, SEA Milan Airports

Welcoming participants to Milan Malpensa, Alessandro Fidato placed the conference within the airport’s broader transformation. Ongoing construction works ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games served as a visible reminder that airports are continuously evolving—and that sustainability must be embedded within that evolution.

He underlined the responsibility airports bear in addressing climate change, noting the sector’s rapid progress in carbon accreditation and net-zero commitments. At the same time, he stressed that true sustainability goes beyond offsets and targets: it requires tangible investments and operational change.

Hydrogen, in this sense, is no longer theoretical for SEA Milan Airports. Initiatives already underway include participation in EU-funded projects, the Malpensa Hydrogen Valley, pilot aircraft refuelling concepts, and a hydrogen refuelling station for heavy-duty trucks. As Italy’s leading cargo hub, Malpensa provides a real-world environment for testing hydrogen solutions in logistics and ground transport.

Fidato concluded by emphasising cooperation across the hydrogen value chain and reaffirmed SEA’s commitment to playing an active role in shaping a sustainable aviation future.

Aligning Europe for Zero-Emission Aviation

AZEA Updates – Helena de Sousa Falcao Montull, European Commission (DG DEFIS)

Helena de Sousa Falcao Montull presented the progress of the Alliance for Zero-Emission Aviation (AZEA), a voluntary initiative bringing together the full aviation ecosystem to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen and electric aircraft.

Since the publication of its Vision Document in 2024, AZEA has moved toward developing a Roadmap that will define concrete actions and milestones up to 2050. A key focus for airports has been the work of the Aerodromes Working Group, which produced a series of infrastructure and operations factsheets earlier in 2025.

These tools provide practical guidance on hydrogen supply scenarios, infrastructure configurations, and operational adaptations, recognising that airport size, role, and traffic profile will shape implementation pathways. From near-term truck-based supply to long-term cryogenic storage and pipelines, the factsheets illustrate phased approaches to readiness.

De Sousa Falcao stressed that early preparation is essential. Without timely action at airport level, the broader ambition of zero-emission aviation risks delay.

EU Policy and Funding Perspectives

Future Fuels at Airports – Rafał Rowiński, European Commission (DG MOVE)

Rafał Rowiński placed hydrogen within the broader EU policy framework for aviation decarbonisation. While efficiency gains and SAF will play an important role, he noted that long-term climate neutrality will ultimately depend on zero-emission aircraft.

Airports, he emphasised, are central to this transition. Infrastructure readiness, safety frameworks, and operational procedures must evolve in parallel with aircraft development. EU initiatives—including AZEA, Green Airports projects, and major funding programmes—are already supporting this transformation.

Rowiński also highlighted the importance of airports thinking beyond aviation alone. As multimodal energy hubs, they can serve aircraft, ground transport, and surrounding industries, strengthening both sustainability and resilience.

Italy’s Hydrogen Pathway and Regulatory Innovation

SAVES & Firefighting – Davide Drago, ENAC

Davide Drago outlined Italy’s approach to hydrogen deployment in aviation, positioning airports as key nodes within a wider national and European energy system. Italy’s role in the SouthH₂ Corridor places it at the centre of future hydrogen flows across the continent.

To ensure safe and structured implementation, ENAC—together with ENEA—launched the SAVES initiative. This programme supports feasibility studies, supply chain analysis, and real-world experimentation at airports such as Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino.

A defining feature of the Italian approach is the use of regulatory sandboxes, allowing hydrogen technologies to be tested under controlled operational conditions. Combined with close cooperation with the national firefighting authority, this framework aims to align innovation with safety, regulation, and public acceptance.

The UK Perspective: Regulating Innovation

UK Roadmap – Helen Leadbetter, UK Civil Aviation Authority

Helen Leadbetter presented the UK CAA’s Hydrogen Challenge, an initiative designed to ensure that regulation keeps pace with technological innovation. Recognising the uncertainties surrounding hydrogen safety and certification, the Challenge combines sandbox experimentation with targeted trials.

Early demonstrations—such as hydrogen-powered ground equipment at Exeter Airport—are already generating valuable insights into infrastructure needs and operational risks. At the same time, regulatory frameworks originally designed for conventional fuels are being reviewed to accommodate hydrogen’s specific characteristics.

Leadbetter stressed the importance of embedding hydrogen into airport master planning from the outset. Delaying this integration would risk costly and disruptive retrofits in the future.

Preparing for Hydrogen Aircraft: Industry Perspectives

OEMs and Scale-ups Panel

Bringing together airline, manufacturer, and technology perspectives, this panel explored what airports need to do to welcome hydrogen-powered aircraft.

ZeroAvia outlined the infrastructure and refuelling requirements for both gaseous and liquid hydrogen, emphasising the need for multi-fuel gates, adapted safety zones, and workforce training. KLM highlighted the importance of coordination across the value chain, noting that infrastructure uncertainty poses a greater risk than technology itself.

Airbus reaffirmed its long-term commitment to hydrogen-powered commercial aviation, while acknowledging that infrastructure readiness and hydrogen availability will be decisive factors in timelines and scale-up.

The panel agreed that deployment will be gradual and that airports must adopt flexible, scalable approaches aligned with long-term master planning.

Supplying Hydrogen to Airports

Hydrogen Supply Panel

This session examined hydrogen supply pathways from production to airport use. From global-scale projects such as NEOM to local pipeline connections and on-site liquefaction, speakers illustrated how supply strategies will evolve over time.

Milan Malpensa’s potential connection to the SouthH₂ Corridor exemplifies how airports can anchor themselves within wider hydrogen ecosystems, serving aviation, logistics, and industry alike.

The discussion underscored that hydrogen supply is not an isolated challenge but part of a systemic transformation of airport energy infrastructure.

From Innovation to Master Planning

EU Projects and Airport Master Plans

The final sessions focused on how insights from EU-funded projects are shaping airport master planning. Initiatives such as Stargate, OLGA, TULIPS, HyAirport, GOLIAT, and ALRIGH2T demonstrate that hydrogen integration requires scenario-based planning, modular infrastructure, and early regulatory engagement.

Across projects, a consistent message emerged: hydrogen is no longer a distant concept. Airports that begin planning today—allocating space, securing energy supply, and aligning stakeholders—will be best positioned to support the first generation of hydrogen-powered aircraft in the 2030s and beyond.

Conference slides (all presentations together)

3rd Hydrogen Airport Conference.pdf

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