Airbus Showcases Hydrogen Aircraft Technologies During Its 2025 Airbus Summit

Airbus Unveils Hydrogen Plans for 2025

At the 2025 Airbus Summit, Airbus announced its roadmap for leading the future of commercial aviation. The company detailed plans for a next-generation single-aisle aircraft set to enter service in the late 2030s, along with an updated ZEROe project roadmap aimed at advancing hydrogen-powered flight technologies.

At the Summit, Airbus reconfirmed its commitment to bringing to market a commercially viable hydrogen aircraft and presented some of the key technology building blocks that will enable the advent of a fully electric, fuel-cell-powered commercial aircraft—a pathway that stands out as the most promising, following years of research into hydrogen aviation.

Airbus Head of Future Programmes Bruno Fichefeux says, “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.”

These technologies were prominently featured in a novel concept for a hydrogen aircraft. It is equipped with four 2-megawatt electric propulsion engines powered by a fuel cell system that transforms hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy. Two liquid hydrogen tanks will supply the four fuel cell systems. This concept will be further refined in the coming years as more tests are conducted to advance the hydrogen storage, distribution, and propulsion systems technologies. 

Airbus Head of the ZEROe Project, Glenn Llewellyn adds, “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.”

In 2023, Airbus introduced a 1.2MW hydrogen propulsion system. By 2024, it had successfully completed extensive testing of an integrated fuel cell stack, electric motors, gearboxes, inverters, and heat exchangers. To address the challenges of managing and distributing liquid hydrogen in flight, Airbus collaborated with Air Liquide Advanced Technologies to develop the Liquid Hydrogen BreadBoard (LH2BB) in Grenoble, France. Integrated ground testing is scheduled for 2027 at the Electric Aircraft System Test House in Munich, where the propulsive bench and hydrogen distribution system will be combined for comprehensive system validation.

Besides advancing aircraft technologies, Airbus is focused on fostering the growth of a hydrogen aviation economy and the essential regulatory framework, both crucial for the broad acceptance of hydrogen-powered flight.