EasyJet to trial fuel cells to cut costs

EasyJet said it will trial a new fuel cell system on planes that could cut its fuel bill by up to US$35m a year, as part of its battle to keep fares low and compete against Ryanair. EasyJet said that, if trials of an Airbus fitted with a hydrogen cell in its hold were successful, its planes would be able to taxi to runways without using its engines. The airline is already benefiting from a drop in the oil price over the last 18 months, but it could cut its bill further with this new technology, head of engineering Ian Davies said. About 4% of the airline's total annual fuel consumption is used in taxi-ing at airports, Davies said. The new technology, which involves a fuel cell capturing energy from the aircraft's brakes when it lands, would also help reduce the airline's carbon dioxide emissions. <br/>