Regulatory Instruments to Enable Hydrogen Market Development in Aviation

Kurzfassung

The aviation sector is under increasing pressure to reduce its climate impact, contributing approximately 3–5% to anthropogenic global warming. While operational and technological improvements support emissions reductions, alternative fuels are essential for deeper decarbonization. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) provide a near-term solution through compatibility with existing infrastructure, whereas liquid hydrogen (LH₂) offers long-term mitigation potential but faces significant deployment barriers. This paper analyses and categorizes existing European and international policy frameworks supporting hydrogen adoption in aviation and assesses their effectiveness in addressing key techno-economic, socio-technical, and socio-political constraints. It further identifies gaps in current policy instruments and explores additional measures required to enable a hydrogen-based aviation transition. The analysis finds that existing policies primarily support hydrogen at a general system level and are insufficiently tailored to aviation-specific needs. Limited infrastructure readiness, high costs, weak demand signals, and regulatory uncertainty—particularly in carbon pricing mechanisms—continue to hinder investment in LH₂ technologies. The paper concludes that a more targeted and aviation-specific policy mix is required to unlock hydrogen’s potential in the sector’s long-term decarbonization pathway.