Airports and the Advancement of Net-Zero Aviation Innovation

Based on workshops in Utah and Colorado, RMI identifies sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as the primary near-term solution for decarbonizing aviation, while hydrogen and electric propulsion require long-term infrastructure planning. The report highlights that airports are structurally limited in leading this transition because they do not control fuel demand or aircraft certification. Key recommendations include investing in pilot programs, developing long-term master plans for new propulsion technologies, and forming regional airport coalitions to share risks. A preliminary analysis suggests that regional routes under 1,000 nautical miles with aircraft under 90 seats are the most viable early candidates for hydrogen transition.

• Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is identified as the most viable near-term decarbonization option due to the commercial readiness of pathways like hydroprocessed ethers and fatty acids (HEFA), alcohol to jet (AtJ), and power to liquids (PTL).
• Airports face structural barriers to leading the transition to net-zero aviation because they lack control over fuel demand and must wait for FAA aircraft certification for new technologies like hydrogen propulsion.
• The adoption of hydrogen and electric aircraft will necessitate a fundamental redesign of airport operations, including the potential need for dedicated terminals, new fueling logistics, and updated emergency response protocols for risks like thermal runaway.
• Existing electrical infrastructure at most airports is likely insufficient to handle the combined loads of electric aircraft, ground support equipment (GSE) charging, and hydrogen production or liquefaction.
• A preliminary analysis of routes in Utah and Colorado suggests that the most viable candidates for early hydrogen transition are regional routes under 1,000 nautical miles operated by aircraft with fewer than 90 seats.
• Implementing liquid hydrogen (LH2) operations involves significant additional costs beyond production, including cryogenic storage capital costs of roughly $0.72/kg and operating costs of about $0.58/kg.

APA

RMI (2025). Airports and the Advancement of Net-Zero Aviation Innovation. https://rmi.org/resources/airports-and-the-advancement-of-net-zero-aviation-innovation/

Chicago

RMI. Airports and the Advancement of Net-Zero Aviation Innovation. 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/airports-and-the-advancement-of-net-zero-aviation-innovation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Airports and the Advancement of Net-Zero Aviation Innovation |date=15 September 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/airports-and-the-advancement-of-net-zero-aviation-innovation/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2025airports, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Airports and the Advancement of Net-Zero Aviation Innovation}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/airports-and-the-advancement-of-net-zero-aviation-innovation/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }