Airbus Scales Back ‘Green’ Jet Development – WSJ
Airbus, the European aerospace giant, has halted its plans to deliver a flagship zero-emissions commercial aircraft by the year 2035, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The European aircraft manufacturer has decided to scale back its hydrogen-powered...
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Airbus, the European aerospace giant, has halted its plans to deliver a flagship zero-emissions commercial aircraft by the year 2035, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The European aircraft manufacturer has decided to scale back its hydrogen-powered jet project after investing nearly $2 billion. The company had originally announced in 2020 its aim to launch a zero-emission, hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035, which was deemed a potential breakthrough for aviation. However, some industry executives expressed doubts about the technology’s readiness by the set timeline.
Sources told the WSJ that Airbus had already invested more than $1.7 billion in the project but reached the conclusion over the past year that technical challenges and slow adoption of hydrogen technologies throughout the economy would hinder its ability to meet the target.
In early February, the company notified its staff about significant budget cuts to the project as well as a delay in its timeline, although no new schedule was provided. Later that month, CEO Guillaume Faury, who previously called the hydrogen initiative “a historic moment,” acknowledged that the endeavor had not produced a commercially viable aircraft and indicated that engineers would need to return to the drawing board for a second “development loop.”
Airbus’s attempts to involve a dozen airlines and over 200 airports in exploring hydrogen integration raised skepticism, as airline and supplier executives privately questioned the feasibility of the 2035 deadline. At Boeing, a competitor in the U.S. that has remained skeptical about hydrogen, executives expressed concerns regarding safety and the technological readiness of hydrogen solutions.
The European Union is pushing for aviation to decarbonize under its Green Deal, which aims for climate neutrality by 2050. As part of a €15 billion COVID-era bailout, Airbus, in which the French state holds a stake, was obliged to invest in green aircraft development.
The WSJ report highlighted that the hydrogen initiative had enabled Airbus to attract additional public and private funding for green projects. This setback occurs at a time when enthusiasm for hydrogen is waning, with companies such as BP and Finnish producer Neste cancelling their hydrogen-related plans. Similarly, several major European power companies are reevaluating their hydrogen aspirations in light of high costs and challenges associated with moving away from fossil fuels, as noted by Windpower Monthly.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this article for TROIB News
The European aircraft manufacturer has decided to scale back its hydrogen-powered jet project after investing nearly $2 billion. The company had originally announced in 2020 its aim to launch a zero-emission, hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035, which was deemed a potential breakthrough for aviation. However, some industry executives expressed doubts about the technology’s readiness by the set timeline.
Sources told the WSJ that Airbus had already invested more than $1.7 billion in the project but reached the conclusion over the past year that technical challenges and slow adoption of hydrogen technologies throughout the economy would hinder its ability to meet the target.
In early February, the company notified its staff about significant budget cuts to the project as well as a delay in its timeline, although no new schedule was provided. Later that month, CEO Guillaume Faury, who previously called the hydrogen initiative “a historic moment,” acknowledged that the endeavor had not produced a commercially viable aircraft and indicated that engineers would need to return to the drawing board for a second “development loop.”
Airbus’s attempts to involve a dozen airlines and over 200 airports in exploring hydrogen integration raised skepticism, as airline and supplier executives privately questioned the feasibility of the 2035 deadline. At Boeing, a competitor in the U.S. that has remained skeptical about hydrogen, executives expressed concerns regarding safety and the technological readiness of hydrogen solutions.
The European Union is pushing for aviation to decarbonize under its Green Deal, which aims for climate neutrality by 2050. As part of a €15 billion COVID-era bailout, Airbus, in which the French state holds a stake, was obliged to invest in green aircraft development.
The WSJ report highlighted that the hydrogen initiative had enabled Airbus to attract additional public and private funding for green projects. This setback occurs at a time when enthusiasm for hydrogen is waning, with companies such as BP and Finnish producer Neste cancelling their hydrogen-related plans. Similarly, several major European power companies are reevaluating their hydrogen aspirations in light of high costs and challenges associated with moving away from fossil fuels, as noted by Windpower Monthly.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this article for TROIB News
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