Flying start: establishing the UK as a leader in zero emission aviation
Think tank: Green Alliance
Author(s): Stuart Dossett; Sophie O’Connell: Amira Jamal
June 23, 2025
This report from UK think tank Green Alliance examines the challenges facing aviation and explores how hydrogen powered aircraft can transform the sector.
Aviation is set to become an increasingly dominant source of UK emissions, growing from 8% today to 59% by 2050 as other sectors decarbonise. The UK’s world-leading aerospace sector, worth £11 billion annually, is reaching an impasse – either lead the global transition to zero emission flight or risk its expertise becoming obsolete.
In this report, we examine the challenges facing aviation and explore how hydrogen powered aircraft can transform the sector. We analyse the three essential components needed to make zero emission flight a reality in the UK: developing the technology, preparing airport infrastructure and creating market demand. We also assess international competition from countries like Japan and China, and outline a comprehensive policy framework to position the UK as the global leader in clean aviation, boosting the UK economy by £26 billion by 2050 while creating 38,000 new jobs across the UK.
