Rotterdam Airport Hosts Liquid Hydrogen

Rotterdam The Hague Airport and the Royal NLR have demonstrated a drone flight powered entirely by liquid hydrogen, testing the full supply and storage

The Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) has successfully flown its HYDRA-II drone using only liquid hydrogen at Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTHA). The demonstration tested the complete chain of supply, storage, and application required to use the fuel at an active airfield.

This trial builds on a 2025 milestone when the HYDRA-II became the first aircraft in the Netherlands to fly on liquid hydrogen. That earlier flight focused on the drone technology itself. The latest exercise shifted focus to the practical logistics of handling the fuel within an airport environment.

Testing the Hydrogen Chain

The demonstration put the entire operational chain to the test. This ranged from the delivery and storage of the liquid hydrogen at the airport to its final application in the aircraft. The goal was to understand how these processes could be organized safely and efficiently in real-world conditions. It also aimed to identify what further knowledge is needed for future applications.

The trial was conducted as part of TULIPS, a European innovation programme under the Clean Aviation initiative. A key enabler was the airport's own liquid hydrogen storage facility. Airport officials believe such infrastructure will be crucial for supporting future hydrogen-powered flight operations.

Airport's Role in Hydrogen Innovation

Daan van Dijk, a Senior Innovator at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, emphasized the importance of practical experience. "It is particularly important now to innovate and gain practical experience with hydrogen, so that we can understand the role it could play in the aviation of the future," he stated.

He highlighted the value of the airport's unique setup. The storage facility and the operational processes developed around it will allow the airport to support further research and testing. Van Dijk noted that such infrastructure is not yet commonplace at airports today.

This makes the practical knowledge gained from the trial particularly valuable for the broader development of hydrogen in aviation.

The aviation sector is actively exploring various alternatives to reduce CO2 emissions. Alongside sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and electric flight, liquid hydrogen is expected by many in the industry to provide a long-term solution. The demonstration at Rotterdam The Hague Airport provides a concrete look at one part of that potential future, centered on the practicalities of airport-based fuel handling.

Source: Airport Industry-News