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Airbus Refines ZEROe Hydrogen Aircraft Plans

Our Bureau - : Mar 25, 2025 - : 8:58 pm

At the 2025 Airbus Summit, the company outlined its updated plans for future commercial aviation, including preparations for a next-generation single-aisle aircraft expected to enter service in the latter half of the 2030s. Airbus also revised its ZEROe project roadmap,...

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The company reaffirmed its commitment to introducing a commercially viable hydrogen-powered aircraft, highlighting key technological advancements that could enable a fully electric, fuel-cell-powered commercial aircraft.

Bruno Fichefeux, Airbus Head of Future Programmes, stated, “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. Just as we saw in the automotive sector, fully electric aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells have the potential in the longer term to revolutionise air transport for the better, complementing the sustainable aviation fuel pathway.”

Airbus presented a concept for a hydrogen aircraft featuring four 2-megawatt electric propulsion engines, each powered by a fuel cell system that generates electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. The fuel cells would be supplied by two liquid hydrogen tanks. Airbus plans to refine this concept through further testing, focusing on improving hydrogen storage, distribution, and propulsion systems. Glenn Llewellyn, Head of the ZEROe Project, said, “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. In the coming years, we will concentrate on advancing the storage, distribution and propulsion systems, while also advocating for the regulatory framework needed to ensure these aircraft can take flight.”

Airbus has already demonstrated progress in hydrogen propulsion. In 2023, the company successfully tested a 1.2MW hydrogen-propulsion system. In 2024, it completed end-to-end testing of an integrated fuel cell stack, electric motors, gearboxes, inverters, and heat exchangers. To address the challenges of handling and distributing liquid hydrogen in flight, Airbus collaborated with Air Liquide Advanced Technologies to develop the Liquid Hydrogen BreadBoard (LH2BB) in Grenoble, France. Ground testing of an integrated propulsion and hydrogen distribution system is scheduled for 2027 at the Electric Aircraft System Test House in Munich.

Alongside technological development, Airbus intends to support the creation of a hydrogen aviation economy and the necessary regulatory framework, which it considers essential for scaling up hydrogen-powered flight.

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