11.45AM – 12PM GMT

AeroDelft is a student‑led organization from TU Delft dedicated to proving and promoting liquid hydrogen as a viable, sustainable alternative to conventional aviation fuels. Central to this mission is Project Phoenix, an ambitious initiative to retrofit a Sling 4 aircraft – originally a combustion‑powered four‑seater – with a fully student‑designed hydrogen powertrain driven by a fuel cell system. This will be discussed in their 15 minute presentation.

12.30PM – 1.15PM GMT

Three years on from the publication of the UK’s landmark Jet Zero Strategy and four years on from the UK Hydrogen Strategy (and an update soon to be published), what traction is hydrogen aviation gaining? The publication of the UK Aerospace Technology Institute’s Fly Zero Report provided a strong evidence base for optimism about the potential of hydrogen flight, what strides have been made in this journey and what are the major challenges that the UK aviation and aerospace communities need to address? 

How is hydrogen fuel cost shaping up and what strides are being made to ready the hydrogen supply chain. What is the roadmap to the first flights and preparing the ground for larger regional aircraft?  

Speakers:

Robert Dale, Founder & Director, Beyond2050 (Moderator)

Graham Bolton, Global Practice Leader, Mott MacDonald

James McMicking, Chief Strategy Officer, ZeroAvia

Helen Leadbetter, Technical Strategy Lead – Zero-Emissions Flight, UK CAA

1.15PM – 2PM GMT

Three years on from the first meeting of the Alliance for Zero-Emission Aviation (AZEA) – an EU Commission convened industry advisory group – the organisation is now preparing to launch a major roadmap which will set the joint course for industry and government towards the delivery of zero-emission air travel.  

In its ambitious scenario, the AZEA vision foresaw that more than two-thirds of flights could be transitioned to zero-carbon (hydrogen and electric) propulsion over the next three decades. What is the game plan for supporting rapid adoption and how can ZEF adoption support or compliment the goals of the commission’s SAF policy? 

Speakers:

Dominic Weeks, Head of External Affairs & Marketing (Moderator)

Kyle Martin, VP European Affairs, GAMA

Jean-Pierre Lentz, Senior Expert Civil Aeronautics, EU Commission

Stephane Rouault, H/O ZEROe Ecosystem & Value, Airbus

Irwin Kerboriou, Lead H2 Airport Operations Manager, Beyond Aero

3PM – 4PM GMT | 7AM – 8AM PT | 10AM – 11AM ET

More information will be announced soon.

4PM – 4.45PM GMT | 8AM – 8.45AM PT | 11AM – 11.45AM ET

This session explores the developments in how aircraft design is evolving in ways that is influenced by hydrogen propulsion systems and other evolutions in airframe design that will impact adoption. How is the industry is considering a hydrogen future? Will a generation of hydrogen-first aircraft emerge and when? How will new entrants disrupt the market? When can we expect large aircraft capable of flying on hydrogen fuel?

Panelists will discuss the technical and operational challenges of integrating hydrogen propulsion and cryogenic storage into airframe designs and the changes necessary to optimize for the new fuel.

Speakers:

Graham Warwick, Technology Editor, Aviation Week (Moderator)

Val Miftakhov, Founder & CEO, ZeroAvia

David Debney, Head of Technology – Whole Aircraft, ATI

Vadim Lvovich, Hydrogen Aircraft Technology Lead, NASA

Jacques-Alexis Verrecchia, Head of Product, Beyond Aero

4.45PM – 5.30PM GMT | 8.45AM – 9.30AM PT | 11.45AM – 12.30PM ET

In an industry famous for its tight margins and operational pressures, successfully operating airlines has rarely been an easy task. However, with challenging economics and mounting sustainability pressure, the industry faces a challenging environment to deliver its mission of enhancing connectivity.  

What are the key strategies airlines are taking to deliver business success today and to ensure strategic advantage in the future? How do new technologies like hydrogen systems factor into that planning and what challenges and opportunities will it present? 

Speakers:

Montserrat Barriga, Managing Director, European Regions Airline Association (moderator)

Ryan Spies, Managing Director for Sustainability, Alaska Airlines

Simon McNamara, Head of External Affairs, Loganair

Zita Schellekens, SVP Strategy, Sustainability & TO, KLM

5.30PM – 6.15PM GMT | 9.30AM – 10.15AM PT | 12.30PM – 1.15PM ET

The convergence of hydrogen propulsion technologies and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is redefining the future of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) worldwide. As aviation stakeholders across regions seek sustainable and scalable solutions for urban and regional air transport, hydrogen-powered eVTOLs present a promising pathway toward zero-emission operations, offering extended range and rapid refueling capabilities that can meet diverse geographic and infrastructure needs.

Driving this transformation are emerging regulatory and policy frameworks from leading aviation authorities globally, including initiatives such as the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) and the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule, alongside parallel efforts in Europe, Asia, and other regions to harmonize standards and accelerate adoption.

This session will explore how international regulatory developments and collaborative approaches are shaping the deployment of hydrogen-powered eVTOLs, enabling new forms of general aviation, and supporting the transition to a truly global electric age of aviation.

Speakers:

Paul Harper, Director of Airworthiness, ZeroAvia (moderator)

Billy Nolen, Former Acting Administrator, FAA

Phil Kelly, CEO, Horizon Aircraft

Herman Wiegman, Team Member/Fellow, BETA Technologies

6.15PM – 7PM GMT | 10.15AM – 11AM PT | 1.15PM – 2PM ET

As the first hydrogen aviation technologies move up through the technology readiness levels towards commercialisation and adoption, the exciting potential next generation technologies are being forged in the labs at leading universities. Global competition to develop the next big leaps in fuel cells, power electronics and electric motor technologies is heating up, with European and U.S.-based academics leading the charge.

In this panel, leading academics will gather to discuss the most exciting research taking place in their own institutions and further afield, and when we can expect major breakthroughs to come to fruition.

Speakers:

Dr. Phil Ansell, Director, Center for Sustainable Aviation, University of Illinois

Professor Chris Brace, Executive Director, IAAPS/University of Bath

Oliver Curnick, Professor of Electrochemical Engineering (Hydrogen Lead), University of Coventry

7PM – 7.45PM GMT | 11AM – 11.45AM PT | 2PM – 2.45PM ET

Amid a major shift in geopolitical dynamics, allied forces are seeking to bolster defense spending, more rapidly pull through innovative and disruptive technologies to adoptions, and thus gain strategic advantage over adversaries.  In this context, hydrogen is emerging as an attractive energy vector and enabler of next-generation military capabilities across a variety of applications.

While compromise on capability is a non-starter, ruling out propulsion for most combat aircraft, fuel cells can play a significant role in extending UAV, transport, and ISR aircraft endurance and reduced detection through reduced heat and acoustic signatures.  Further the vulnerability of fossil fuel supply chains presents a logistics challenge which could be solved with fuel diversification.

What are the key projects to analyze hydrogen and fuel cell capabilities in the defense context?  What applications are we likely to see in the coming decade?  How will development of dual use technologies like fuel cells spill into the defense space and vice versa? 

Speakers:

Dan Abaroa, Americas Business Development Director, ZeroAvia (moderator)

Rebecca McLean, Defence Account Director, GeoPura

Tom Grundy, CEO, Hybrid Air Vehicles

Mike Minihan, Head Coach, Maverick Advisors

4PM – 4.15PM GMT | 8.00AM – 8.15AM PT | 11AM – 11.15AM

AeroDelft is a student‑led organization from TU Delft dedicated to proving and promoting liquid hydrogen as a viable, sustainable alternative to conventional aviation fuels. Central to this mission is Project Phoenix, an ambitious initiative to retrofit a Sling 4 aircraft – originally a combustion‑powered four‑seater – with a fully student‑designed hydrogen powertrain driven by a fuel cell system. This will be discussed in their 15 minute presentation.

4.15PM – 5PM GMT | 8.15AM – 9AM PT | 11.15AM – 12PM ET

While some agonize over the chicken and egg problem of hydrogen infrastructure at airports, some airports are getting on with experimentation and building capability to support immediate decarbonization priorities and to prepare for the future of hydrogen aircraft propulsion.   

This panel session featuring leading senior airport executives will explore developments made in various hydrogen projects at airports, before delving into the strategic, technical, regulatory and commercial challenges facing both early aviation use cases and scaling for high demand scenarios.  

Speakers:

Alexandros Ouzounopoulos, Sustainability Manager, ACI Europe

Daan Van Dijk, Senior Innovator, Rotterdam the Hague Airport

Mathhieu Piron, General Manager, ADP

Siddiq Tahseen, Senior Energy & Utilities Planner, Vancouver Airport

5PM – 5.45PM GMT | 9AM – 9.45AM PT | 12PM – 12.45PM ET

This session will explore cutting-edge advances in fuel cell technologies tailored for aviation, focusing on the pursuit of higher power-to-weight ratios, thermal management innovations, and integration strategies for airframes and propulsion systems. 

How can Proton Exchange Membrane technologies be advanced with higher temperature variants to simplify balance-of-plant and deliver power-to-weight ratio improvements?  What further advances can change the dynamics for LTPEM systems? What gains can be made via the applications of novel materials such as graphene in catalysts?

The session will also explore how the heightened commercial focus on aviation has changed the approach to higher TRL fuel cell technologies, and what that means for development of durable, altitude tolerant and certification-ready technologies.  

Speakers:

Johanna Dombrovskis, Manager Fuel Cell Stack Technology, PowerCell

Jon Cole, Head of Technology Development, Intelligent Energy

Rudolf Coertze, CTO, Conscious Aerospace

Gareth Coates, Head of Power Generation Systems, ZeroAvia

6PM – 6.45PM GMT | 10AM – 10.45AM PT | 1PM – 1.45PM ET

As confirmed by the ATI’s seminal Fly Zero reports, liquid hydrogen has a major role to play in future aircraft propulsion, but what are the major technical challenges in terms of aircraft adoption? What is being learned in early testing and at what pace are core technologies advancing?  

This panel will hear from companies and researchers pushing the boundaries of cryogenic hydrogen storage to deliver systems capable of clearing the certification bar and finding their way into commercial passenger and cargo flights.  

Speakers:

Charlie Currie, Editor, H2 View (Moderator)

Pierre Alain-Lambert, VP, Hydrogen Programs, ZeroAvia

Herve Morvan, Chief of Future Platforms, Rolls Royce

Julian Renz, VP, Strategy, ZeroAvia