Photo: Airbus
Regular flights of commercial aircraft using only hydrogen might seem very far away, but big names in the aerospace industry are determined to make it happen as the best solution for cutting emissions. Airbus just reached another milestone for its Zeroe project by joining forces with the first U.S. partner.
A couple of years ago, the European aircraft manufacturer unveiled three aircraft concepts that would use hydrogen as fuel, two of them equipped with turbofan engines and the third one with a turboprop configuration, powered by modified gas-turbine engines.
The most innovative of the three boasts a blended-wing body design that would allow it to conduct transcontinental flights of over 2,000 nautical miles (2,300 miles/3,700 km), with up to 200 passengers onboard.
Since then, Airbus has been working diligently on the Zeroe technology, including cryogenic tanks for hydrogen storage and the related airport infrastructure. It has also signed agreements with SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Air New Zealand, and EasyJet in order to get feedback from these potential customers as it progresses with the aircraft design.
A new milestone for this bold project is the recent partnership with Delta Air Lines. Simple Flying reports that Delta signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus, as part of its “Flight to Net Zero” initiative, for the development of hydrogen aircraft. Delta, therefore, becomes the first U.S.-based airline to join the Zeroe project.
It seems that the agreement doesn’t involve financial investments, but the American airline will collaborate with Airbus on researching and developing the future hydrogen aircraft. This will include working on the aircraft concept, the aviation ecosystem, and coalition building. Delta will study the potential integration of the innovative Airbus aircraft into its fleet, focusing on range limits, refueling time, and airport compatibility.
The two companies will also evaluate the costs and infrastructure plus regulation requirements for nationwide implementation.
The Airbus hydrogen aircraft are planned to enter service within the next decade. Until then, the technology will be tested on Airbus A380 aircraft, starting in 2026.
The most innovative of the three boasts a blended-wing body design that would allow it to conduct transcontinental flights of over 2,000 nautical miles (2,300 miles/3,700 km), with up to 200 passengers onboard.
Since then, Airbus has been working diligently on the Zeroe technology, including cryogenic tanks for hydrogen storage and the related airport infrastructure. It has also signed agreements with SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Air New Zealand, and EasyJet in order to get feedback from these potential customers as it progresses with the aircraft design.
A new milestone for this bold project is the recent partnership with Delta Air Lines. Simple Flying reports that Delta signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus, as part of its “Flight to Net Zero” initiative, for the development of hydrogen aircraft. Delta, therefore, becomes the first U.S.-based airline to join the Zeroe project.
It seems that the agreement doesn’t involve financial investments, but the American airline will collaborate with Airbus on researching and developing the future hydrogen aircraft. This will include working on the aircraft concept, the aviation ecosystem, and coalition building. Delta will study the potential integration of the innovative Airbus aircraft into its fleet, focusing on range limits, refueling time, and airport compatibility.
The two companies will also evaluate the costs and infrastructure plus regulation requirements for nationwide implementation.
The Airbus hydrogen aircraft are planned to enter service within the next decade. Until then, the technology will be tested on Airbus A380 aircraft, starting in 2026.
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