Airbus, which has been working on a number of ambitious projects to produce a commercially-viable hydrogen powered airplane, has just added ten years to its timeline, pushing its target date from 2035 to sometime in the 2040s.
The company has led the industry on the idea of producing an emission-free aircraft, more likely a 100-seat turbo-prop than the blended-wing concept shown above. However, the company now says, the technology is not developing fast enough for the original goal, and there remain unanswered questions around developing clean production of hydrogen and the infrastructure needed for that.
In a statement, Airbus said “Hydrogen has the potential to be a transformative energy source for aviation. However, we recognize that developing a hydrogen ecosystem – including infrastructure, production, distribution and regulatory frameworks – is a huge challenge requiring global collaboration and investment.”
While hydrogen-fueled airliners may still be in our future, for the moment, airlines and aircraft makers are concentrating on more use of sustainable aviation fuel and more efficient engines and planes.
