Around £103m in funding has been announced by UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds to advance sustainable air travel.
Announced at the opening of the 2024 Farnborough Airshow today, the funding will be provided via the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme to support green air travel.
The news follows the recent announcement from ADS, the aerospace industry’s trade body, that the sector contributed £38bn to the UK economy in 2023.
Reynolds commented: “Our world-class aerospace sector added almost £40bn to the economy last year, and by backing it to pioneer cutting-edge new technologies, we’re delivering economic growth and supporting high-skilled jobs in every part of the UK.
“It’s fitting that I’m launching this new support here at Farnborough Airshow, where the best of British innovation is showcased on the global stage, reinforcing our commitment to placing innovation and manufacturing at the heart of our Industrial Strategy.
Which projects have been selected?
Five leading projects will receive funding, which will be spearheaded by KN Aerospace, Queens University, Rolls-Royce, Short Brothers, and ZeroAvia.
The projects will pioneer innovations in zero-emission hydrogen-powered flight, sustainable propulsion systems, and turbine technologies.
This will create thousands of high-skilled aerospace jobs and attract investment into the UK’s aerospace industry, aligning with the government’s upcoming Industrial Strategy.
Pioneering sustainable air travel
The Hot Section Lifting and Materials (HOTLINE) project, headed by Rolls Royce in collaboration with Cranfield University and the University of Birmingham, aims to innovate turbine technologies to lower both unit and life cycle costs. This initiative has a total budget of £20.5m.
The Advanced Fuel Cell for Aviation Decarbonisation (AFCAD) project will receive £17.5m and is an extension of ZeroAvia’s Hyflyer I and II projects.
It focuses on advancing high-temperature fuel cell stack technology to a commercial level, facilitating zero-emission hydrogen flights for rotorcraft and eVTOL applications.
Led by Queen’s University Belfast, the Scenic Composites project will bolster aerospace capabilities in the Belfast region.
It involves developing advanced testing and manufacturing equipment at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) and will be supported by £10.9m in funding.
The IVI project, under the leadership of Short Brothers, strives to minimise material usage, enhance fuel efficiency across various aircraft platforms, and support the shift to sustainable air travel propulsion technologies.
The government has allocated £5.8m in grant funding for this project, which has a total cost of £10m.
GKN Aerospace, along with a UK-based consortium including Parker-Meggitt Aerospace and the universities of Nottingham and Manchester, leads the H2FlyGHT project.
This sustainable air travel project aims to create and test a comprehensive liquid hydrogen fuel system and a 2-megawatt cryogenic electrical propulsion system for future zero-emission aircraft. The overall budget for this endeavour is £44m.
These investments in cutting-edge aerospace projects underscore the UK’s commitment to pioneering sustainable air travel and supporting the aerospace sector.
This strategic support is set to create thousands of high-skilled jobs, drive economic growth, and position the UK at the forefront of green aviation technology.
