(Toulouse / France) – At its in-house trade fair “Airbus Summit”, the French aerospace group Airbus reaffirmed its commitment to the development of hydrogen propulsion systems and presented further plans and technologies for hydrogen aircraft.
In Toulouse, Airbus presented its plans for a global hydrogen network for aviation operations, in which around two dozen partners and numerous airports are or will be involved (as of March 2025). © Airbus SE
"Fully electric aircraft powered by fuel cells have the potential to complement sustainable aviation," said Bruno Fichefeux, Head of Future Programs at Airbus. The concept of a hydrogen aircraft was presented, equipped with four two-megawatt electric motors, each powered by a fuel cell system. The power is supplied by two liquid hydrogen tanks. The concept will be "further refined in the coming years."
Power density for a commercial aircraft
Over the past five years, we investigated several hydrogen propulsion concepts "before we decided on this all-electric concept," said Glenn Llewellyn, head of the "ZeroE" project at Airbus. "We are confident that it offers the necessary power density for a commercial aircraft" and can be further developed. In the coming years, we will focus on further developing the storage, distribution, and propulsion systems, while also advocating for the regulatory framework necessary for these aircraft to fly."
The Liquid Hydrogen Bread Board (LH2BB) test center, developed by Airbus in collaboration with Air Liquide Advanced Technologies in Grenoble, France, is designed to test the interaction of liquid hydrogen and its distribution. © Airbus SAS
Some media outlets recently speculated that Airbus had abandoned its "ZeroE" project, which aimed to bring hydrogen-powered flight technologies to commercial maturity – speculation, however, that could not be based on solid evidence. Airbus's R&D activities have a long track record. At the initial presentation of ZeroE in 2020, the aerospace company unveiled three concepts for hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. In 2023, Airbus demonstrated a 1,2-megawatt hydrogen propulsion system. End-to-end testing of an integrated fuel cell stack, electric motors, gearboxes, inverters, and heat exchangers was completed in 2024.
To manage the handling and distribution of liquid hydrogen in flight, Airbus, in collaboration with Air Liquide Advanced Technologies, has developed the "Liquid Hydrogen Bread Board" (LH2BB) in Grenoble, France. Ground tests are planned for 2027 at the "Electric Aircraft Systems" test center in Ottobrunn near Munich, which Airbus commissioned in 2019.
Photo above
Rendering of a hydrogen-powered four-engine turboprop aircraft from Airbus' ZeroE program. © Airbus SAS
