Airbus is planning to introduce it’s first commercially viable hydrogen aircraft into service within then next decade.
At the Airbus Summit which concluded on Tuesday in Toulouse, France, the European aircraft manufacturer said it’s next-generation single-aisle aircraft could enter service in the second half of the 2030s.
“Hydrogen is at the heart of our commitment to decarbonise aviation. While we’ve adjusted our roadmap, our dedication to hydrogen-powered flight is unwavering,” said Bruno Fichefeux, Airbus Head of Future Programmes.
At the summit, the firm showcased it’s concept of a hydrogen aircraft powered by four, 2-megawatt electric propulsion engines, each driven by a fuel cell system that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy.
Airlines currently use Jet A1 which is the most common in the aviation industry. Latest data by Statista indicates that total fuel consumed by airlines worldwide increased to 375,000 billion litres in a year to December 2024.
Airbus says the four fuel cell systems which is still being refined, would be supplied via two liquid hydrogen tanks.
The aircraft manufacturer has also revised its ZEROe project roadmap to mature the technologies associated with hydrogen-powered flight.
“Over the last five years, we have explored multiple hydrogen-propulsion concepts, before down-selecting this fully electric concept. We are confident it could provide the necessary power density for a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft and could evolve as we mature the technology,” added Glenn Llewellyn Airbus Head of the ZEROe Project.
In 2023, Airbus successfully demonstrated a 1.2MW hydrogen-propulsion system. last year end-to-end testing of an integrated fuel cell stack, electric motors, gearboxes, inverters and heat exchangers was completed.
Ronald Owili
