When it comes to sustainable aviation, there’s no low-hanging fruit. The path to emission-free aviation fuels is challenging, more sustainable aircraft design and production is still a work in progress, and when it comes to sustainable airport design, architects really have their work cut out.

However, the path to clean aviation has become slightly clearer thanks to the European Union’s Clean Aviation programme signing off over €700m in funding for research and innovation. It is hoped that the cash injection will accelerate research into sustainable propulsion and decarbonisation.

Providing financial support for 20 different projects, the focus of research and innovation will be built around three central areas:

• Hydrogen-powered aircraft
• Hybrid electric regional aircraft
• Ultra-efficient short and medium range aircraft

It is hoped that rapid adoption of these technologies from 2035 will provide the biggest step change reduction in aviation’s climate impact, supported by the acceleration of low or zero-carbon energy sources and fuels.

There is still a long, long way to go before the EU’s ambition of climate neutrality by 2050 seems within reach, but this latest funding helps pave the way.