Airbus Unveils Next-Generation Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft at 2025 Summit
Key Ideas
- Airbus announced plans for a next-generation single-aisle aircraft to debut in the 2030s, alongside advancements in the ZEROe project focusing on hydrogen-powered flight.
- The company showcased a concept of a fully electric, hydrogen-powered aircraft with four 2-megawatt electric propulsion engines, emphasizing hydrogen's central role in decarbonizing aviation.
- Airbus has conducted successful tests on hydrogen propulsion systems and will continue refining the technology, with plans for ground testing in 2027 and a focus on establishing a hydrogen aviation economy.
- The company aims to revolutionize air transport with fully electric aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells, signaling a commitment to sustainable aviation and the potential for transformative change in the industry.
At the 2025 Airbus Summit in Toulouse, France, Airbus revealed its roadmap for a next-generation single-aisle aircraft set to launch in the latter half of the 2030s. The company also provided updates on its ZEROe project, with a strong focus on advancing hydrogen-powered flight technology. Airbus reiterated its dedication to developing a commercially viable hydrogen-powered aircraft, highlighting fully electric, fuel-cell propulsion as the most promising approach after extensive research. The company showcased a notional concept of a hydrogen aircraft with electric propulsion engines powered by fuel cell systems converting hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy, supported by liquid hydrogen tanks. Airbus plans to further refine this concept through testing, concentrating on hydrogen storage, distribution, and propulsion systems. Airbus has already demonstrated successful tests on hydrogen propulsion systems and aims to continue advancing the technology. The company is collaborating with Air Liquide Advanced Technologies to address hydrogen handling and distribution challenges in flight. In addition to technological advancements, Airbus is working on establishing a hydrogen aviation economy and regulatory framework to enable the scaling of hydrogen-powered flight, emphasizing the crucial role of such frameworks in the industry's transition to sustainable aviation.