Airbus is on track to develop a fuel cell-powered commercial aircraft
- Airbus has shared details about its ZEROe project
- The company says it is committed to creating a hydrogen-powered plane
- It will use fuel-cell technology in the aircraft
Published on Mar 27, 2025 at 4:54 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Mar 27, 2025 at 12:51 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Airbus says it is committed to creating a ‘commercially viable hydrogen aircraft’ and is now sharing new details about the project.
Airbus launched its ZEROe project back in 2020, with the company announcing it was aiming to create a zero-emission aircraft based on hydrogen.
Since then, the company has been working on the technology to make the concept a reality.
Earlier this week, it shared an updated ‘roadmap’ on how ZEROe is going.
DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Airbus is committed to creating a hydrogen-powered plane
Numerous aviation companies are currently working on hydrogen aircraft, such as French startup Beyond Aero – which is working on a hydrogen-electric business jet, and German-based H2FLY which carried out the world’s first piloted fight of a liquid-hydrogen electric aircraft last year.
This week, the 2025 Airbus Summit was held, during which the company reaffirmed its commitment ‘to bring to market a commercially viable hydrogen aircraft’ and released details about the technology it was set to use to ‘enable the advent of a fully electric’ hydrogen-powered plane.
In the past, the team had researched and investigated the use of hydrogen combustion, but speaking at the summit the company confirmed it had opted to forge ahead with fuel-cell technology.
“Hydrogen is at the heart of our commitment to decarbonize aviation,” Airbus head of Future Programs Bruno Fichefeux said.
“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 revolutionize air transport for the better, complementing the sustainable aviation fuel pathway.”
The company shared details about the plane
Airbus said its ZEROe aircraft will be powered by four two-megawatt electric propulsion engines that will be driven by a fuel cell system that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy.
All four of the fuel cell systems will be supplied via two liquid hydrogen tanks.
The company said that this was the basic outline of the plans for the aircraft, but admitted there would be various tweaks and adjustments as time went on and new information and data about the technology was gathered.
“This concept will continue to be refined over the coming years as additional tests will help mature the technologies associated with hydrogen storage and distribution, as well as with the propulsion systems,” Airbus said in a statement.
The company has also confirmed that ‘integrated ground testing’ of the aircraft is planned for 2027 – so watch this space.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
