Driving The Future of GREEN AVIATION

Champions of Change: The People Powering RCA's Sustainable Aviation Revolution. Meet the Innovators and Collaborators Driving NetZero at Rigby Group’s airports division.

Sustainability in aviation isn’t just about cutting emissions - it’s about the people turning ambitious plans into reality.

Fifty years on from when we were founded, the importance of sustainability has never been more important – for businesses and society. And at Rigby Group’s Regional & City Airports (RCA), the drive toward NetZero is powered by the ground staff, engineers, and leaders who are reimagining what an airport can be.

The team at Exeter Airport are at the heart of this transformation. They have just been selected by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the next stage of the Hydrogen Challenge, a prestigious initiative designed to prove how hydrogen can decarbonise airport ground operations.

Winning a place in this project is an achievement in its own right, as well asa statement of intent. It signals the pioneering work being carried out by colleagues in RCA to lead from the front as hydrogen technology moves from concept to reality.

For Stephen Wiltshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport, the sustainability mission is personal: "I’ve spent my career in aviation, and I’ve never seen a shift this significant. There’s a real sense that what we’re doing today is setting the standard for the next generation.”

That leap is happening right on Exeter’s tarmac. As part of the CAA’s Hydrogen Challenge, the airport is about to begin testing hydrogen- powered ground support equipment (GSE), including baggage tractors, pushback tugs, and ground power units. These trials - featuring hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen combustion, and hybrid hydrogen-diesel technology - will play a crucial role in proving how airports can decarbonise without compromising efficiency.

Andrew Bell, CEO of RCA, sees these trials as a turning point:

“This isn’t about just swapping one fuel for another. It’s about rethinking how airports operate entirely. When our ground teams prepare to see these vehicles in action, you can feel the shift in mindset. It’s no longer, ‘Can we do this?’ It’s ‘How soon can we roll this out everywhere?’”

AVIATION’S NET ZERO FUTURE IS HERE

From Scepticism to belief: the people adapting to change

Change can be daunting, especially for teams used to working with conventional airport equipment. But for Exeter’s ground crew, scepticism has quickly turned to excitement, with the seamless performance of hydrogen-powered equipment about to prove that clean technology can integrate smoothly into existing airport operations.

Trials like these are also reshaping how RCA’s workforce thinks about sustainability – making it something tangible, rather than a distant goal. “It’s a source of pride,” Wiltshire adds. “Our teams know they’re part of something bigger. They’re not just working at an airport— they’re making history.”

Beyond hydrogen: the full picture of RCA’s NetZero efforts

The Hydrogen Challenge is a major milestone, but it’s just one part of RCA’s broader commitment to sustainable aviation. The company has also been at the forefront of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) adoption. At Norwich Airport, RCA is working with airlines to integrate SAF into daily operations, proving that low-carbon alternatives can work seamlessly with existing aircraft.

“People assume sustainable fuel is years away, but we’re showing that it’s ready now,” explains Bell.

RCA’s leadership in sustainable aviation dates back even further. In 2021, Exeter Airport played host to the UK’s first hybrid-electric flight trials, led by Ampaire. These groundbreaking tests demonstrated that hybrid-electric aircraft could cut fuel consumption by up to 30%, marking a major step toward greener air travel.

Aviation’s NetZero future is here

From hybrid-electric flight trials to SAF integration and now the Hydrogen Challenge, RCA is proving that NetZero aviation is not a distant dream—it’s an active transformation.

“For a long time, we talked about NetZero like it was something for the future,” Andrew Bell reflects. “But standing here, watching our team as they prepare to roll out hydrogen-powered equipment for the first time, it’s clear: The future of aviation isn’t coming. It’s already here. And we’re the ones building it.”

How you can contribute

No matter which part of Rigby Group you work in, we are committed to doing business the right way and to leaving the world in a better place than we found it. That means getting to NetZero across all of our businesses by 2040 – you can find out more about how we plan to get there, together, here.