Panel debate: Zero-emission takeoff: can hydrogen and eSAF deliver clean aviation?

Air transport accounts for approximately 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, and its share is rising. With traffic expected to rebound and grow by 10% by 2030, decarbonising aviation is no longer a distant goal but an urgent necessity. As aircrafts are difficult to electrify, what role can hydrogen propulsion and hydrogen-derived fuels like eSAF play in the sector’s energy transition? Is a “one-size-fits-all” solution feasible for short-, medium-, and long-haul flights? This session will explore how industry, travelers, and governments can address the high costs, limited infrastructure, and massive energy demands of clean aviation. It will also examine real-world demonstrations of hydrogen use through both the eSAF and liquid hydrogen (LH₂) pathways, assessing their potential to accelerate the transition to zero-emission air transport.

Speakers

Welcome address & day 1 recap: JORGO CHATZIMARKAKIS, CEO, Hydrogen Europe

Keynote speech: JEAN-LUC CRUCKE, Minister of Mobility, Climate and the Ecological Transition, Belgium

Speech "How to make efuels affordable": JOAQUÍN RODRIGUEZ, Hydrogen Director, Moeve

Panel:

• TIMOTHY FENOULHET, Team leader Green Deal, Sec Gen, European Commission

• KONSTANTINOS CHATZIFOTIS, Manager of European Affairs, Motor Oil

• MARKUS EXENBERGER, Executive Director, H2Global Stiftung