While today's newest aircraft have made significant leaps in terms of efficiency and environmental impact, there is still growing pressure from regulators and the public to decarbonize aviation through new technology.
While change can only come so quickly, Airbus has been making an effort to lessen the environmental impact of its aircraft.
However, it seems its latest innovation has hit a major roadblock that will force the industry to wait longer than anticipated for hydrogen-powered flight.
Airbus delays its program
According to The Financial Times, Airbus is pushing back the year it expects to have hydrogen-powered flight. On Thursday, February 6, 2025, the company announced plans to push back the year it expected to have its hydrogen aircraft take flight.
A statement made by French labor unions revealed that the program could take five to ten years longer than the company initially expected.
As recently as Tuesday, February 4, 2025, the company reported that it was still expecting the program to take off in 2035. Airbus was not immediately available for comment on Saturday.
This news comes as other aviation companies have shown less confidence in the role hydrogen will play in decarbonizing the aviation industry.
The Financial Times also reported just prior to this announcement that several European carriers have begun to place less emphasis on hydrogen in their goal for a carbon-free future.
While in 2021, a roadmap created by several industry groups communicated that the industry expected hydrogen-powered planes to be responsible for 20% of emission reductions by the year 2050, this figure was recently lowered to just 6%.
Part of the reason for this is the challenging nature of introducing such a new technology to the market.
Hydrogen-powered aircraft would require new infrastructure on a wide scale. This is an extensive and expensive addition to an already capital-intensive industry.
In addition to introducing new infrastructure, the technology will have to clear plenty of regulatory hurdles before major carriers can begin operating the new aircraft on short-haul flights.
Delay comes with further cuts
Airbus' announcement that its hydrogen-powered aircraft will be delayed also comes with more bad news for the program. Beyond moving back its expected launch date, Airbus is cutting the budget for its hydrogen initiatives by 25%.
Additionally, it officially ended plans to test hydrogen fuel cell engines using a modified Airbus A380 as a test bed.
Airbus has clearly lost some confidence in its hydrogen future, hurting the industry's efforts to decarbonize aviation. However, improvements are still being made to bring better efficiency and lower environmental harm to the industry.
Many other aerospace companies, like Pratt and Whitney, are also harnessing hydrogen to reduce environmental damage.
Meanwhile, the industry has begun to utilize more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This modified jet fuel is often made from things like crops, excess cooking oil, and other sources that are not fossil fuels.
Using more sustainable fuel can also leave up to 70% fewer emissions compared to traditional jet fuel, though the technology is not yet available on a large scale and tends to be more expensive than traditional options.
Despite its limitations, sustainable aviation fuel is increasingly popular, with many major airlines investing in crop-based fuel.
United Airlines has continued to sign agreements for further use, and has even painted a special livery on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and yet-to-be-delivered 737 MAX 10.
Meanwhile, Air New Zealand just signed an agreement for SAF at San Francisco International Airport, which will power its Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft on long-haul flights.
Despite Airbus' program delay, cleaner techniques are continuing to diffuse across the industry.
