Korean Air Accelerates Infrastructure Development to Prepare for the Hydrogen Aircraft Era

Incheon International Airport Corporation, Airbus, and Air Liquide Sign Business Agreement
Hydrogen Supply and Infrastructure Development for Aviation Industry and Airports

Guillaume Cotte, CEO of Air Liquide Korea; Fabrice Espinoza, CEO of Airbus Korea; Jeon Hyung-wook, Head of Infrastructure Division at Incheon International Airport Corporation; and Lee Soo-geun, Vice President of Korean Air, are taking a commemorative photo after signing the agreement (from left).

Photo by Korean Air

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Korean Air is preparing to build hydrogen infrastructure in the domestic aviation industry in anticipation of the future carbon-neutral hydrogen aircraft era.

On the 10th, Korean Air announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for "Hydrogen Supply and Infrastructure Development for the Aviation Industry and Airports" with Incheon International Airport Corporation, Airbus Korea, and Air Liquide Korea at the Incheon International Airport Corporation headquarters in Jung-gu, Incheon, the day before.

The event was attended by Lee Soo-geun, Vice President in charge of Safety and Health and Operations at Korean Air; Jeon Hyung-wook, Head of Infrastructure Division at Incheon Airport Corporation; Fabrice Espinoza, CEO of Airbus Korea; and Guillaume Cotte, CEO of Air Liquide Korea.

This agreement aligns with the plan of Airbus, a global aircraft manufacturer, to commercialize hydrogen-fueled aircraft by 2035. Korean Air is determined to lead the paradigm shift in the aviation industry brought about by hydrogen aircraft.

The agreement mainly involves cooperation among the parties in preparing for the future hydrogen aircraft era by ▲developing airport hydrogen infrastructure ▲establishing an airport hydrogen roadmap ▲and hydrogen ground handling systems.

Korean Air will conduct research and development in areas related to aircraft operations such as ground handling, maintenance, and flight in preparation for hydrogen aircraft operations. Incheon International Airport will focus on airport facilities. Airbus will analyze the demand for hydrogen aircraft in the Korean region. Air Liquide will be responsible for establishing a roadmap for the introduction of hydrogen fuel in the aviation industry.

Vice President Lee Soo-geun said, “This MOU is a symbolic starting point for establishing a hydrogen supply and infrastructure system for the aviation industry and airport facilities, which have been relatively slow in adopting hydrogen compared to other industries,” adding, “Korean Air will continue to actively contribute to carbon neutrality and the revitalization of Korea’s hydrogen economy.”

Meanwhile, Korean Air is making efforts to reduce carbon emissions in various areas. Last year, it signed an MOU with Hyundai Oilbank to cooperate on the production and use of bio aviation fuel. It has also purchased carbon-neutral aviation fuel with a carbon multiplier of ‘0’ from SK Energy. Additionally, Korean Air is continuously renewing its fleet with eco-friendly, high-efficiency aircraft such as the Airbus A220-300, which reduces carbon emissions per seat by about 25% compared to aircraft of the same class.

As a global airline leading the aviation industry, Korean Air plans to proactively respond to climate change and contribute to carbon neutrality and the activation of the domestic hydrogen economy through various carbon reduction measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.