The chief technology officer of GKN Aerospace, Russ Dunn is to chair UK industrial consortium Hydrogen in Aviation Alliance in 2025.
Members of the Hydrogen in Aviation Alliance (HIA) include Airbus, easyJet Rolls-Royce, Ørsted and ZeroAvia. HIA launched in 2023 to develop the UK’s aviation and hydrogen sectors into into a position of global leadership,
The outgoing chair is Johan Lundgren, CEO of EasyJet.
Earlier this year HIA released its first report “Launching Hydrogen-Powered Aviation” outlining the steps that the UK Government and industry need to follow to secure a global leadership position in hydrogen-powered aviation. The report provides a range of challenges and opportunities for the UK to address in the coming months and years.
Next year, HIA will focus on exploring the details of several key recommendations outlined in its Milestone Delivery Report, including airport infrastructure and hydrogen skills development for hydrogen transition.
Dunn said, “I am delighted to be named as the chair of the Hydrogen in Aviation Alliance at this crucial time for the industry.
“Globally, more people are flying today than ever, as aviation continues connecting communities and enabling business. With this growth comes an important responsibility – to decarbonise aviation, so we can continue to deliver the benefits it offers in a sustainable way.
“Hydrogen is key to that ambition and 2025 is an important year for the UK and HIA members as we continue to engage with our stakeholders to promote the huge sustainability benefits that hydrogen can bring to our sector.
“HIA members are doing incredible things in the UK to prepare the global industry for transitioning to hydrogen – from GKN Aerospace’s own development of multi-Megawatt fuel cell systems for aircraft and ZeroAvia’s flight testing and certification efforts around hydrogen-electric powertrains, to Bristol Airport and EasyJet demonstrating hydrogen ground operations. HIA enables us to connect these technical and ecosystem advancements together.”
Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said, “During my time as chair of the HIA, we set out our recommendations on the steps the UK needs to take in terms of innovation, policy and regulation.
“I can think of no better successor than Russ Dunn, who has been a valued member of the alliance since its inception and is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about hydrogen-powered aviation.”
Russ Dunn leads GKN Aerospace’s global technology portfolio across the whole business. Russ joined GKN Aerospace as Chief Technology Officer in 2013 following 17 years at Airbus where he had a number of technical leadership roles.
