Energy systems are built over decades. The pipelines, ships, trains, and trucks that deliver fuel to airports today form a complex network. The infrastructure needed to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen, or methane varies dramatically, from adapting existing systems to building entirely new ones.
Most major airports are already connected to jet fuel infrastructure, including dedicated pipelines delivering jet fuel to storage tanks at airports. Natural gas networks are also widespread, with more than three million miles of pipeline in the United States alone and a global distribution network using LNG tankers. For methane to become an aviation fuel, this network would need to be extended to airports. Hydrogen infrastructure, by comparison, is still in its early stages and remains concentrated around industrial hubs on the US Gulf Coast.
But connecting fuel sources to airports is only part of the challenge. If cryogenic fuels like hydrogen or methane are used to power aviation, airports will need infrastructure to liquefy, store, and distribute these fuels at extremely low temperatures. Fuels could be liquefied elsewhere and transported to airports by truck or rail. While theoretically possible, the vast number of trucks and rail cars required — alongside the need to keep temperatures low to mitigate boil-off losses — would introduce even greater logistical challenges.
So what would it actually take to power an airport with hydrogen or methane? One of the biggest challenges is simply the space required for the liquefaction facility. To help answer that question, we’ve visualized the infrastructure needed at airports to support each fuel.
Explore what new airport infrastructure could be needed to power airplanes with hydrogen or methane.
