Manchester Airport today unveils plans to be the first in the UK with direct access to a hydrogen fuel pipeline.

The airport said hydrogen technology was expected to play a key role in decarbonising the aviation sector, with hydrogen-powered aircraft expected to come into operation from the mid-2030s for short-haul journeys. And it said a research project involving Manchester Airports Group estimated the demand for liquid hydrogen at an airport the size of Manchester could be 6.5 million litres a day by 2050.