Welcome to HAM 18,500 kilometers apart – united by common climate goals
Press Release

18,500 kilometers apart – united by common climate goals

Ambassador Craig Hawke at Hamburg Airport
Meeting at Hamburg Airport: Ambassador Craig Hawke, Hamburg Airport CEO Michael Eggenschwiler and Trade Commissioner Simon Hearsey.

New Zealand Ambassador Craig Hawke visits CO2-neutral airport operations at Hamburg Airport / Decarbonisation: Net Zero is the goal

28.11.2022

The climate partnership between Christchurch and Hamburg airports links New Zealand and northern Germany. Today, New Zealand Ambassador Craig Hawke and Trade Commissioner Simon Hearsey visited Hamburg Airport to find out more about the decarbonisation measures at Germanys fifth biggest airport. The partner airports already operate in a CO2-neutral manner and are working on an infrastructure for the use of green hydrogen in aviation. The common goal Net Zero: fossil CO2 emissions are to be reduced to zero.

Craig Hawke, New Zealand's ambassador to Germany:
“We welcome the partnership between Hamburg Airport and Christchurch Airport as an excellent example of the dynamic spirit and ambition driving the New Zealand-German relationship. Thanks to such innovative pioneers, our countries are moving closer to achieving our collective climate goals through the decarbonisation of our transport sectors.”

Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO at Hamburg Airport:
“We are delighted to have an experienced partner in Christchurch Airport to drive forward our joint ambitious climate goals. Ambassador Craig Hawke's visit underlines once again that we are taking a pioneering role in decarbonisation which is attracting attention beyond Hamburg. With New Zealand, we are pooling our expertise in an unique way on an international level to work towards CO2-free airport operations and a future with sustainably operated aircraft. This involves both H2-powered vehicles on the ground and infrastructure for hydrogen-based aircraft propulsion. The future of energy and heat supply with self-generated green electricity is also an important field of cooperation.”

Climate partnership Hamburg Airport and Christchurch Airport

The cooperation between the two airports is intended, among other things, to identify technical and operational solutions that can further reduce CO2 emissions. Both partners also want to actively prepare and promote the future use of green hydrogen as an emission-free energy carrier in aviation and exploit synergy effects. In developing a hydrogen infrastructure, the airports face, among other things, the challenge of developing suitable technical storage options - for example, for cryogenic liquefied hydrogen, the use of which could possibly appear in aviation by 2035. In addition to the focus on vehicle fleets and future aircraft engines, emission-free energy and heat supply are also at the centre of the joint exchange. The different approaches to the production and use of wind energy and photovoltaics for a CO2-free energy supply for the entire airport infrastructure are important topics in order to achieve the common goal of Net Zero quickly and efficiently.

About Hamburg Airport

Hamburg Airport is the largest international airport in northern Germany, and the fifth largest in Germany overall. Hamburg Airport’s large catchment area, with its substantial passenger potential, is extremely interesting for all airlines. At present, around 50 airlines fly direct to some 115 domestic and international destinations from Hamburg. Approximately 1,000 destinations worldwide can be reached with only one connecting flight. Beyond this, Hamburg Airport is a “city within the city”, an attractive place to visit with around 60 shops and restaurants, 10 travel agents, and leisure activities. Hamburg Airport is equipping itself to face the challenges of the future of aviation with a modern infrastructure.

Hamburg Airport // Communications Department
E-mail: presse@ham.airport.de
Internet: www.hamburg-airport.de