Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has significantly postponed plans for a hydrogen aircraft. The development of the hydrogen economy is five to ten years behind what Airbus assumed when it announced its hydrogen strategy in 2020, the manager explained at the presentation of the financial statements on Thursday in Toulouse.
This makes it unrealistic that a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft will enter scheduled service in 2035 as originally planned. Airbus is continuing to work on it, but it will take a few years longer, says Faury.
For the Airbus boss, there is no question that a hydrogen aircraft is technically feasible. However, there is no point in developing an aircraft that no one will buy because the infrastructure is not available or it is too expensive to operate.
According to Faury, Airbus is one step ahead in terms of technology. The company is using a fuel cell that generates electricity using hydrogen. This then drives the aircraft. The alternative, in which a gas turbine burns hydrogen in a similar way to how conventional jet aircraft burn kerosene, was rejected.
According to previous statements, in order to bring the hydrogen aircraft to market maturity by 2035, Airbus would have had to initiate concrete development in 2027 or 2028. So far, the manufacturer is still working on the technical fundamentals - as is the Munich-based engine manufacturer MTU, which is also relying on a fuel cell.
In order to make a hydrogen-powered aircraft a success, a hydrogen supply is needed at airports. The technology is considered expensive and complex. In order to achieve the actual goal of CO2 neutrality, the hydrogen would also have to be produced using electricity from renewable sources. There is far too little of this so far.
From the Airbus management's point of view, hydrogen technology is only realistic for smaller passenger aircraft with an estimated 100 seats. For medium-haul jets, such as the A320neo model family, and large long-haul aircraft, Airbus, like its competitor Boeing, wants to continue to rely on classic engines for the next generation, which will then burn sustainably produced aircraft fuel.
This is produced from plants or with the help of electricity as so-called e-fuels. This type of fuel is also currently only available in small quantities worldwide. The development of a hydrogen aircraft therefore remains a long-term vision that will take many years to implement.