- Airbus delays hydrogen aircraft launch due to slower-than-expected technological progress and technical challenges.
- The company has adjusted its roadmap but remains committed to hydrogen as part of its long-term decarbonisation strategy.
- Airbus explores sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as a near-term solution to reduce emissions while advancing hydrogen technology.
Due to technical and industrial setbacks, Airbus admits slower progress in its hydrogen-powered aircraft project. The company faces challenges that force a revision of its initial plans, though it remains committed to decarbonising aviation.
Initially targeting 2035, Airbus has delayed the launch of its first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. Technological advancements have not advanced as expected, but the company continues to pursue hydrogen-powered aviation despite significant hurdles.
Hydrogen storage presents a significant obstacle. Liquid hydrogen requires storage at -253°C in cryogenic tanks, four times larger than kerosene tanks. Airbus actively explores solutions for integrating this technology, though the process remains challenging.
The Force Ouvrière (FO) union claims that Airbus pushed the aircraft’s launch back by five to ten years and reduced the program’s budget by 25%. Airbus disputes these claims, insisting that its overall strategy stays intact. However, the company acknowledges necessary adjustments based on current technological limitations and the availability of renewable hydrogen.
In 2022, Airbus announced plans to test a hydrogen-powered engine on an A380. FO asserts that Airbus cancelled this project, though the company has yet to confirm the claim. While hydrogen remains central to Airbus’ strategy, the company prioritises sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as a quicker solution for reducing emissions.
These shifts in Airbus’ hydrogen strategy have sparked concerns about potential job impacts. FO urges management to clarify how these adjustments will affect employment. In response, Airbus stresses that it considers the well-being of its workforce and the broader economic environment in all decisions.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) set a 2050 target for carbon neutrality, and Airbus aims to align with this goal. Hydrogen offers a promising future solution, but Airbus now faces the industrial challenges of developing and implementing it alongside other alternatives.
In the short term, SAF will provide a more immediate means of reducing aviation emissions. Airbus continues to adjust its ambitions for its hydrogen project to align with available technology and market readiness while keeping alternative fuels in focus.
Though Airbus delays its hydrogen aircraft timeline, it remains determined to lead the aviation industry toward a sustainable future. The company confronts ongoing hydrogen storage and distribution challenges while considering complementary solutions for near-term emission reductions.
Despite these delays, Airbus maintains its commitment to hydrogen-powered aircraft as a key part of its long-term decarbonisation strategy. However, achieving this goal proves more complex than initially anticipated.
Airbus focuses on finding sustainable solutions for aviation. As hydrogen technology takes longer to develop, the company continues to pursue alternative strategies. The delay represents a temporary setback, but Airbus remains driven to create a sustainable future for the aviation industry by combining hydrogen and other innovative approaches.