Due to technological and infrastructure challenges, Airbus is delaying its plans for a hydrogen-fueled airliner, pushing development back by up to a decade. The company has cut funding for its ZEROe program by 25% and canceled plans to test a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain on an A380 testbed, Aviation Week reports.
While Airbus remains committed to hydrogen aviation, it acknowledges that scaling up renewable hydrogen production and infrastructure is progressing slower than expected. This shift was evident in recent Clean Aviation research proposals, which excluded hydrogen engine flight tests.
Instead, Airbus is prioritizing near-term sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) solutions. Under Clean Aviation’s latest phase, it plans to flight-test an open-fan engine, followed by evaluations of a ducted engine, such as Rolls-Royce’s UltraFan or a modified Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan.
Although hydrogen-powered flight tests could still happen after 2026, Airbus is currently focusing on SAF-based propulsion for its next-generation single-aisle aircraft. Future hydrogen developments may be revisited in upcoming Clean Aviation project phases in 2025 and beyond.
