Airbus is reaffirming its commitment to hydrogen aviation and confirming its choice of fuel cell technology. The company aims to fly an electric aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen.
The latest concept features four electric motors, each powered by a fuel cell system. “Over the past five years, we have explored various hydrogen propulsion concepts before selecting this fully electric approach,” explains Glenn Llewellyn, Head of the ZEROe project at Airbus. “We are convinced that it can provide the power density required for a commercial hydrogen aircraft and that it has the potential to evolve as the technology advances.”
Fuel Cells: The Most Promising Pathway
Airbus has examined several hydrogen propulsion technologies, but fuel cells have emerged as the most promising. In 2023, the company successfully demonstrated a 1.2 MW hydrogen propulsion system in ground tests. In 2024, it conducted integrated end-to-end testing of fuel cells, electric motors, gearboxes, inverters, and heat exchangers.
The Airbus Summit coincided with the Hysky conference in Marseille, where key fuel cell suppliers—AVL, EKPO, and H3 Dynamics—discussed their partnerships with the aircraft manufacturer.
While significant progress has been made on fuel cell technology, Airbus acknowledges that the biggest challenge remains the handling and distribution of liquid hydrogen in flight. To tackle this, the company is working with Air Liquide Advanced Technologies, with whom it has developed the Liquid Hydrogen BreadBoard (LH2BB) in Grenoble. Further ground tests are scheduled for 2027 at the Electric Aircraft System Test House in Munich, where the propulsion system and hydrogen distribution will undergo full-scale validation.
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