Heathrow Expansion Could Open The Door To Five Additional UK Routes, According To New Research
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from the Heathrow Media Centre.
These three bullet-points act as sub-headings.
- New research identifies Belfast International, Cornwall Airport Newquay, Leeds Bradford Airport, Liverpool John Lennon and Teesside International Airport as most likely to gain Heathrow connections through expansion
- New links could unlock £335m in additional gross tourism spend, boosting trade, investment and jobs. This builds on the estimated £1.2bn in gross tourism spending across the UK from travellers supported by current Heathrow domestic routes
- Regional airports and businesses support this Government’s backing of Heathrow expansion and urge the project to be progressed as fast as possible
This is the first paragraph.
New research by Frontier Economics has identified the UK airports most likely to benefit from new or restored connections to Heathrow, when additional airport capacity is delivered by a third runway.
Surprise surprise! Research paid for by an airport shows more flights to the airport are a good idea after a new runway has been added.
I will look at each airport mentioned in the report in detail.
Belfast International
Belfast International Airport handles nearly seven million passengers a year, as opposed to the 2.5 million passengers that use the smaller Belfast City Airport.
Consider.
- Belfast International has flights to Gatwick, Luton and Stansted.
- I’ve only flown into Belfast twice and it was once to each airport.
- I did fly myself into Belfast City, when I was taking a friend to see Shorts, as he might have bought a Skyvan.
- If I wanted to go, I’d probably go from London City to Belfast City unless say, I was being picked up from Belfast International and perhaps going some distance from Belfast, in which case it would be Gatwick Airport.
- Note that I only travel with a small amount of hand baggage. As an an aside, what do travellers put in their mammoth suitcases?
- The press release talks of Belfast’s growing screen and cultural industries.
I wonder, if Belfast International needs flights from Heathrow, because there is increasing amounts of connecting travellers for Belfast and the aircraft to Belfast City aren’t large enough to carry all the cases.
Cornwall Airport Newquay
Newquay has flights to Gatwick and Stansted.
I’ve only been to Newquay once and I went by train, which I wrote about in Newquay Station – 9/10th February 2024.
- I changed once at Par.
- But soon, if not already, there will be direct trains from Paddington.
- Details on the summer-only Atlantic Coast Express are given on its Wikipedia entry.
- Will there be Pullman Dining, as I experienced on On The 10:45 From Paddington? That journey was the best train breakfast I’ve ever had!
Paddington and Heathrow isn’t a difficult journey to get the train for Newquay.
Leeds Bradford Airport
I used to fly light aircraft and I have friends in aviation. One phrase you regularly hear from pilots is “Time to spare, go by air!”
- Basically, unless you’re flying in a business jet, leave plenty of time.
- Leeds Bradford is a good airport and they did a good job, when I presented them with a problem, that I wrote about in Incident At Leeds.
- If I came into Heathrow, I would probably use Heathrow Express to Paddington and then get the Metropolitan Line to King’s Cross to get to Yorkshire.
- Leeds is also getting a Metro.
- LNER and other train companies are developing their services to the Leeds-Bradford area and there are now services to Bradford, Doncaster, Harrogate, Hull, Leeds, Shipley, Skipton and York.
- Leeds station has two trains per hour to and from London.
- Leeds station has lots of taxis.
Google AI gives this AI Overview of parking at Leeds-Bradford airport.
Parking at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) is highly streamlined, offering a range of on-site and off-site options. It features a popular Free 1-Hour Zone for drop-offs, premium options right outside the terminal, and competitive long-stay parking. Pre-booking online is heavily recommended to secure spaces and get the best
I doubt that flying between Heathrow and Leeds Airport will be popular, unless you’re parking at the airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
A lot of the things said about Leeds Bradford Airport can be said about Liverpool airport.
But Liverpool already has a comprehensive Metro.
Google AI gives this AI Overview of parking at Liverpool airport.
Parking at Liverpool John Lennon Airport is extremely convenient because all official car parks are located directly on-site within a 1 to 5-minute walk of the terminal building—meaning no shuttle buses are required.
As with Leeds-Bradford Airport, I doubt that flying to Heathrow will be popular, unless you’re parking at the airport
Teesside International Airport
Reading the Wikipedia entry for Teesside International Airport doesn’t give the impression, the airport is not in the best of health.
But this is said about parking on the Teesside International Airport web site.
Teesside Airport parking is situated directly opposite the terminal building.
Wherever you’re coming from for your flight, be it Middlesbrough, Hartlepool or down the road in Darlington, our parking is closer and safer than parking anywhere else to access the airport. It is monitored 24/7 and has been awarded safe parking status by Park Mark.
Dropping off or picking up? There’s free parking for up to two hours when you spend minimum of £5 in our Landside Café or landside terminal shops. Receipt must be shown for validation.
I suspect if you’re going to one of its eight destinations and you want to take your car, then you might use Teesside International Airport.
Although several local stations seem to have good train services to King’s Cross, it does appear that Teesside International Airport could be using parking to attract business with customer-friendly parking.
I have some thoughts.
Do Many Passengers Take A Coach To Heathrow?
Google AI gave this answer, when I asked the question in the title of this section.
Yes, absolutely. Over 5 million passengers take coaches to Heathrow every year.
The airport’s Central Bus Station is one of the busiest coach hubs in the UK, and coaches provide an incredibly popular, cost-effective alternative to trains and taxis.
The main reasons so many travelers choose to take the coach include:
Direct Terminal Access: Coaches drop you off directly at the Heathrow Central Bus Station (for Terminals 2 and 3) or right outside Terminals 4 and 5.
This saves you from dragging heavy luggage through the London Underground or navigating complex rail changes.
Cost-Effective: Advance tickets often start as low as \(£10.50\), making it substantially cheaper than black cabs, airport parking, or premium rail lines like the Heathrow Express.National Connectivity: Coaches connect Heathrow to over 500 locations across the country.
Major hubs like Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge, and Southampton have direct, frequent services without requiring a change in Central London.
Early Morning Travel: Because the airport is a 24-hour operation, many coaches run throughout the night, offering crucial connections before local trains even begin operating.
An alternative at some of these smaller airports could be better coach travel.
Is Anybody Proposing A Small Airliner Powered By Hydrogen Fuel Cells?
I believe a smaller airliner powered by hydrogen fuel cells could suit feeder flights from smaller airports.
Google AI gave this answer, when I asked the question in the title of this section.
Yes, several aerospace companies are actively developing and testing hydrogen fuel cell airliners, ranging from retrofitted commuter planes to clean-sheet regional aircraft.
The leading proposals and active development programs include:
Airbus ZEROe: Airbus is designing a 100-seat regional airliner powered by four 2.4-megawatt hydrogen fuel cell engines.
After verifying the concept’s feasibility, Airbus is currently assembling a 1.2MW powertrain demonstrator for testing, with the aircraft targeted for entry into service in the late 2030s.
ZeroAvia: ZeroAvia is focused on retrofitting existing regional airframes (such as the Dornier 228) with hydrogen-electric engines.
They are currently testing their ZA600 powertrain for 19-seat aircraft and are actively developing larger systems (up to 80 seats) to enter commercial service in the coming years.
.H2Fly: This company focuses on small regional aircraft and has test flights slated for their 4-seat air taxis and larger regional prototypes.
They advocate for starting with smaller planes to avoid the complex infrastructure challenges of larger models.
Beyond Aero: They are developing “ONE,” a hydrogen-electric business aircraft designed specifically for executive travel, aiming to reduce both costs and carbon emissions compared to traditional jet fuel.
Hopefully, hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft will be quiet.
Never Mind Heathrow: Gatwick Airport Is Close To Getting A New Runway
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
A friend passed through at Gatwick Airport yesterday, so I went to wish him well. For a change , I took a Metrobus from Sutton station to the South terminal – This route is free and doesn’t need a ticket with a Freedom Pass!
The bus was no ordinary bus, but a brand new Wrightbus hydrogen double decker from Ballymena.
It took a round-about route, as its main function is to bring local workers and passengers into the airport and handle traffic to Redhilll, Reigate and East Surrey Hospital.
But if this is the shape of buses to come, then I’m for it. Quality was more coach than bus and performance was sparkling with little or no noise and vibration.
Gatwick and Metrobus are building a network of local hydrogen buses to bring workers and passengers into the airport and I suspect, if the Airport has the fuel, they’ll use it for other purposes, like air-side vehicles, aircraft tow-trucks and car park buses.
Gatwick unlike Heathrow has a close-by source of electricity to produce hydrogen in the soon-to-be-extended 1.6 GW Ramplion offshore wind farm, just off Brighton.
Airbus are talking about bringing hydrogen aircraft into service by 2035 and I believe that by this date we’ll be regularly seeing hydrogen-turboprops on short routes.
As someone, whose software planned the Channel Tunnel, I think it reasonable by 2035, the following projects will be completed.
- Zeroavia are talking of converting aircraft to hydrogen in the next few years.
- A number of short-haul hydrogen aircraft are in service.
- Gatwick’s new runway and terminals are built.
- Ramplion is pumping hydrogen to the airport.
- The station has been updated.
- The Thameslink frequency of trains will have been increased.
Gatwick could be the first major airport to use large amounts of hydrogen, to cut emissions.
ZeroAvia Receives FAA G-1 For 600kW Electric Propulsion System
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from ZeroAvia.
This is the sub-heading.
Issue paper confirms basis of certification and provides clear pathway to certification of the company’s first commercial product
These are two introductory paragraphs.
ZeroAvia today announced that it has reached consensus on the Certification Basis relating to its 600kW electric propulsion system (EPS) with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), having received a G-1 Issue Paper (stage 2) and formally confirmed agreement with its contents.
The G-1 represents a key milestone on the journey towards final certification of the company’s EPS with the U.S. regulator, and also on its path to certifying its first full hydrogen-electric powertrain (of which the EPS is a core system) with the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The issue paper designates the applicable airworthiness regulations specific for ZeroAvia’s EPS, allowing the company to validate its design requirements.
Zero-carbon aviation just got a little bit closer, as when it is certified, the 600 KW electric propulsion system (EPS) will be able to be retrofitted to aircraft like the Cessna Caravan.
This is a Cessna Grand Caravan, that I flew in on holiday in Kenya.
I can see a lot of zero-carbon Caravans flying around the tropics on hydrogen generated by a nifty piece of hydrogen gubbins powered by the sun.
Especially, as over three thousand have been built.
ScottishPower Makes Hydrogen Aviation Pact
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on reNEWS.biz.
These two paragraphs outline the project.
ScottishPower has partnered with ZeroAvia to explore the development of green hydrogen supply solutions for key airports, with the aim of seeing the decarbonisation of air travel take off.
The collaboration will allow the companies to explore the hydrogen infrastructure for airports to support hydrogen-electric flight and other potential uses.
There is no point of having zero-carbon hydrogen-electric aircraft without the ability to refuel them.
This picture comes from ScottishPower’s original press release.
I can see a system like this having applications in industries like buses, farming, heavy transport and mining.
Ecojet: Dale Vince Launches An Aviation Revolution
The title of this post is the same as that as this news story from Ecotricity.
This is the sub-heading.
The world’s first electric airline powered by renewable energy
These three paragraphs outline the project.
Ecotricity founder, Dale Vince, has announced the launch of Ecojet, the world’s first Electric Airline, powered by renewable energy. The move marks the beginning of an aviation revolution by making net-zero, emission-free air travel possible for the first time.
Ecojet’s fleet will comprise conventional planes retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains. Once converted, the aircraft will operate with the same power output as before, but with a one-hundred percent reduction in CO2 emissions.
The decision to repurpose old planes rather than build new models from scratch will save 90,000 tonnes of carbon per year. The only byproduct will be water, which can be captured and released into the lower atmosphere to avoid the harmful effects of contrails.
These ae my thoughts.
The Aircraft
The news story contains pictures of two aircraft; a de Havilland Canada Twin Otter and a 737 or A320 variant.
- It also says that hydrogen-electric powertrains will be used.
- ZeroAvia in partnership with Cranfield Aerospace are developing such a powertrain and I suspect they could have one certified by 2025.
This would be used in the Twin Otter.
But what about 737 or A320 variant?
Airbus are already proposing the ZEROe Turbofan, which appears to be based on an improved A320 neo.
But the image on the news story looks more like a Boeing 737 from the wing-tips.
This article on the IET web site, which is entitled Airbus And Boeing To Embrace Hydrogen From Mid-2030s, indicates that it will be the mid-2030s before hydrogen twinjets of this size are in service.
This paragraph from the news story indicates his philosophy about the aircraft.
Short-term, to secure routes and a license from the Civil Aviation Authority, Ecojet will initially launch using conventionally fuelled planes. Ecojet will launch with two different sizes of turboprop aircraft (a 19-seat aircraft and a 70-seat aircraft). These aircraft will be retrofitted with the hydrogen-electric powertrains as they become approved for service by the CAA – the first retrofits will take place in 2025, one year after the commencement of flights.
Note.
- The news story clearly states that two types of aircraft will be used; a 19-seat turboprop and 70-seat turboprop.
- So the second picture of a Boeing 737 had nothing to do with the news story.
- They will be retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains, when they have been certified.
- Flights are planned to start next year.
It looks a very canny philosophy, as Ecojet will be able to prove the route with aircraft running on traditional fuels or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and only switch to hydrogen, when the hydrogen-electric powertrains are proven, certified and installed, and the hydrogen infrastructure is in place.
The Smaller Aircraft
The first picture in the news story is of a de Havilland Canada Twin Otter.
- This aircraft accommodates 19-20 passengers.
- It has two turboprop engines.
- Production started in 1966 and it is still ongoing.
- Nearly a thousand have been built, so plenty of nearly-new examples will be available for refurbishment and conversion.
- Loganair operate three aircraft in Scotland.
It looks fairly certain, that Ecojet’s 19-seat aircraft will be a Twin Otter.
The Larger Aircraft
Possibilities would include these aircraft.
- ATR-72 – 72 seats
- de Havilland Canada Dash 8 – > 50 seats
Note.
- Both aircraft are still in production.
- In ZeroAvia To Bring Zero-Emissions Flight To Sweden, I talk about how ZeroAvia have sold their hydrogen-electric powertrains to Swedish ATR-72 operator; Braathens and are targeting Dash 8 operators.
- In Universal Hydrogen Successfully Completes First Flight Of Hydrogen Regional Airliner, I talk about Universal Hydrogen’s successful progress in selling hydrogen-electric powertrains for ATR-72s and Dash 8s. The first flight of their system was in an ATR-72.
It looks to me, that Dale Vince has a choice of two 70-seat aircraft and hydrogen-electric powertrains from two manufacturers; ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen.
In Monte To Purchase 100 FC Aircraft Drives From ZeroAvia, I talk about how Monte Aircraft Leasing have done a deal with ZeroAvia to lease ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrains to regional airlines.
Has Dale Vince done a deal with Monte Aircraft Leasing for his aircraft?
- Monte Aircraft Leasing and ZeroAvia would get an eco-celebrity customer, who could even be the launch customer.
- Ecojet’s aircraft would all have similar ZeroAvia hydrogen-electric powertrains, although the size might be different.
- Dale Vince would only be sharing the risk, if the technology was a dog.
- De Havilland Canada and/or ATR will see how the passengers like zero-carbon flight.
There is also, one of aviation’s most powerful companies close to the deal, as Airbus own half of ATR.
Airbus are developing the hydrogen-powered ZEROe Turboprop, which is shown in this Airbus image.
Note.
- It looks very much like an improved ATR-72.
- It has more extreme propellers and probably better aerodynamics.
- Airbus might like to persuade Ecojet to use ATR-72s as their 70-seat airliner.
- Information from an operator of hydrogen-powered airliners would be very valuable to Airbus.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ecojet lease some nearly new ATR-72s.
Would Airbus Fit ZeroAvia Hydrogen-Electric Powertrains In The ZEROe Turboprop?
This page on the Airbus website is entitled ZEROe.
In a section, which is entitled Hydrogen Propulsion To Power Future Aircraft, this is said.
All three ZEROe concepts are hybrid-hydrogen aircraft. They are powered by hydrogen combustion through modified gas turbine engines. Liquid hydrogen is used as fuel for combustion with oxygen.
In addition, hydrogen fuel cells create electrical power that complements the gas turbine, resulting in a highly efficient hybrid-electric propulsion system. All of these technologies are complementary, and the benefits are additive.
In 2022, we launched our ZEROe demonstrator with the aim to test hydrogen combustion technology on an A380 multimodal platform. Through future ground and flight testing, we expect to achieve a mature technology readiness level for a hydrogen-combustion propulsion system by 2025.
Note.
- Airbus state they are using modified gas turbine engines.
- Airbus also talk about using fuel cells to create electrical power that complements the gas turbines.
- Could the hydrogen fuel cells be used to power the aircraft’s systems, like avionics, control systems, air-conditioning and the hydrogen system for the main engine?
- This concept of effectively a hydrogen auxiliary power unit, might be a more efficient way of using the hydrogen, which either gives longer range or a smaller fuel tank.
- In The ZEROe Demonstrator Has Arrived, I talk about the ZEROe Demonstrator, which is a modified Airbus A 380.
Did the adding of hydrogen fuel cells to the ZEROe aircraft, lead to the concept of a hydrogen-powered auxiliary power unit, that I talked about in Airbus To Trial In-flight Auxiliary Power Entirely Generated By Hydrogen?
It looks to me, that Airbus have developed their own simple concept of powering the aircraft.
I doubt they will need ZeroAvia’s technology.
But.
- Aircraft manufacturers like Airbus generally fit the best and most suited engines they can find in their aircraft.
- The Wikipedia entry for ZeroAvia says that the prototype hydrogen-electric powertrain is in the cabin, consisting of two fuel cells and a lithium-ion battery for peak power.
- ZeroAvia have powerful shareholders like Amazon, Bill Gates and Royal Dutch Shell.
- ZeroAvia have also received grants from the UK Government.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn, that Airbus have taken a long hard look at ZeroAvia’s technology.
After all, ZeroAvia could probably build a hydrogen fuel cell power pack, that would meet Airbus’s needs for a hydrogen-powered auxiliary power unit.
Remember too, that many fleets of aircraft have been updated with new engines for decades and I don’t think Airbus would mind ZeroAvia giving a new zero-carbon lease of life to the hundreds of ATR-72s in service around the world.
Surely, a successful hydrogen-powered ATR-72 is only going to create more interest in airlines buying ZEROe Turboprops.
All the converted aircraft will still need support from ATR.
Both the converted and new aircraft will need hydrogen refuelling services, so could the two aircraft use a common standard.
Airbus and ZeroAvia would appear to have several common interests.
Ecojet’s Core Route
This is a paragraph from the news story on the Ecotricity web site.
Dale has partnered with experienced pilot Brent Smith and a team of aviation specialists to set up Ecojet. Flights across the UK will commence in early 2024, starting with the Edinburgh to Southampton route, and expanding to mainland Europe shortly after, with long-haul flights planned for the future.
Note.
- The ATR-72 has a range of 949 miles, which is more than adequate for Southampton and Edinburgh, which is just over 350 miles.
- Diagonal journeys in the UK are often the most passenger-unfriendly by rail and tend to use diesel trains.
- Southampton Airport has good road and rail connections, with the terminal less than a minute from the station.
- Edinburgh Airport has good road and tram connections, with rail connections needing a short journey on the tram.
- Southampton Airport has flights to the Channel Islands, Ireland and Schiphol.
- Edinburgh Airport has a comprehensive service from major airlines and low-cost carriers, and several flights to destinations in the North of Scotland and on the Islands.
I think that it is a well-chosen core route for their 70-seat aircraft.
Which Routes Will Ecojet Fly With The Twin Otters?
Consider.
- My Scottish friends tell me that flying to the Scottish Islands, like the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland is expensive.
- The growth of the Scottish wind power industry will mean, that more capacity is needed to serve the North of Scotland and the Islands.
- Tourism to the North of Scotland and the Islands is on the up.
- There will not be a shortage of green electricity to produce green hydrogen.
- The North of Scotland isn’t short of airports.
- The Twin Otter has a surprisingly long range on aviation fuel and I suspect, that a hydrogen version would be designed to have a similar range.
- The longest flight needed would probably be Edinburgh and Sumburgh, which is about 280 miles, which should be well within the range of a Twin Otter.
- I suspect that hydrogen refuelling could be easily provided at enough airports, to support hydrogen-powered airliners.
- I am sure, that the Twin Otters could be used on a network of zero-carbon flights from Edinburgh to the North of Scotland and the Islands.
- A zero-carbon airline would help Scotland’s net-zero ambitions.
There is certainly a need for another airline to connect Edinburgh to the North of Scotland and the Islands and the infrastructure could be upgraded to support a hydrogen-based zero-carbon airline.
Could Ecojet build a similar network at Southampton, that served the Channel Islands, Southern Ireland and Northern France?
Conclusion
There’s a lot more to this venture, than there appears at first sight.
O wish Vince and his partners well, but as a coeliac, I’ll skip the food.
Retired Alaska Airlines Turboprop To Get New life As ‘World’s Largest’ Hydrogen-Powered Plane
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on KUOW.
It’s increasingly looking like, there will be at least a couple of viable hydrogen conversions of current turboprop aircraft to hydrogen.
ZeroAvia To Bring Zero-Emissions Flight To Sweden
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on AviationSourceNews.
These three paragraphs outline the deal.
ZeroAvia has announced this week that it has struck a deal to bring zero-emissions flights to Sweden.
Such a deal has been struck to allow commercial routes from Skellefteå Airport using hydrogen-electric powertrains with Braathens Airlines.
Braathens Airlines operates a fleet of 14 ATR 72 aircraft, which will eventually have these powertrains utilized for flights across Sweden.
ZeroAvia are also targeting de Havilland Canada Dash 8 airliners for conversion to hydrogen.
Preparing For Take-Off: Aviation Embraces Clean Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this article on Ryse Hydrogen.
These three paragraphs introduce the article.
Aviation’s clean hydrogen revolution is coming from all directions.
Taking a bottom-up approach, start-ups such as ZeroAvia are developing technology to convert small aircraft to hydrogen fuel, while at the other end of the spectrum, industry giants such as Airbus and Rolls-Royce are exploring how they can carry hundreds of passengers 1,000s of miles across the world.
The timescales for these projects are very different but progress is visible for both approaches.
The last two paragraphs are optimistic.
Hydrogen fuel could make up 32% of the market by 2050 if it becomes commercially available by 2035, according to a study from climate think-tank Energy Transition Commission.
It would seem that it’s only a matter of time before truly clean air travel is cleared for take-off and hydrogen-powered aircraft are carrying passengers and cargo across the skies.
The article is a good summary of the state of zero-carbon hydrogen-powered aircraft. Read it!
The Anonymous Widower 