Airbus has stepped away from a 2035 target date for introduction of a hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Speaking at a summit the company held this week at its Toulouse, France, headquarters, head of future programs Bruno Fichefeux said Airbus plans to recalibrate its timeline based on the development of a more robust production and infrastructure ecosystem for the hydrogen market. That development is running five to 10 years behind earlier expectations, he added.
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Based on several years of study, Airbus has developed a narrowbody hydrogen aircraft concept featuring four electric propulsion propeller engines, driven by a fuel cell system that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy.
The company says the so-called ZEROe plane would fly with no emissions.
Last year, Airbus completed end-to-end testing of various elements of the propulsion system, including electric motors, gearboxes and the fuel cell stack.
"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," Glenn Llewellyn, head of the ZEROe Project, said in a statement.