How Delta Air Lines is deepening its partnership with Airbus

Delta Air Lines will be a key partner with Airbus’ UpNext innovation lab. The airline announced its new venture during Delta’s CES 2025 keynote. Joining Delta, Airbus will also invest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through the Minnesota SAF Hub, the first large-scale SAF hub in the US.

As Delta celebrates its centennial year, the global airline is working to shape the future of the next century of flight.

A new partnership with Airbus UpNext will position the aircraft manufacturer and its largest operator at the forefront of advancing next-generation aviation technologies to revolutionize the future of flying.

During its multi-decade partnership, Delta and Airbus will work toward the industry’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

They will explore different innovations including aircraft design, fuel use cases, and flying techniques optimizing fuel efficiency. Delta’s 2050 sustainability journey is guided by two pillars:

• Optimizing flying operations and partnering to accelerate clean fuel availability and revolutionary aircraft.
• Embed sustainability in everything Delta does, in order to deliver more sustainable travel experiences and business operations.

This includes exploring future designs for increased fuel efficiency and finding more sustainable and innovative aircraft materials to build the planes.

Other aspects include testing formation flying at a distance to drive wake energy retrieval, ensuring future aircraft designs are created with accessibility, comfort, and efficiency in mind, and embracing sustainable fuel sources, like SAF, hydrogen and electric.

“It’s estimated that 80 percent or more of the world’s population has never experienced air travel. That’s why, as we continue to expand as an international airline, increasing the world’s access to travel isn’t just an opportunity – it's our responsibility. We live in a divided world, which is why what we do at Delta is so important. Our job isn’t to transport people. It’s to bring them together.” - Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines

With Delta's Sustainable Skies Lab and Airbus' innovation labs, including Airbus UpNext, Delta and Airbus collaborate on early-stage, fast-track technology solutions to advance the future of aviation.

The two companies will explore wing performance, fuel efficiency, superconductivity, advanced aircraft assistance, and other technologies for future aircraft.

Delta will offer feedback, helping Airbus refine the innovative technologies being developed. The airline will have active participation in designing certain experiments, observing test runs, and the chance to test early-stage features on its fleet.

Airbus' fello'fly

Later this year, Delta will participate in Airbus' next fello'fly test flight, a new flying technique inspired by migrating geese. After its first successful transatlantic test flight, fello'fly has been proven to save several tons of fuel and CO2 emissions on each trip.

"This technique is known as wake energy retrieval – or surfing the air upwash of a lead bird. During commercial aircraft operations, air upwash enables a follower aircraft to benefit from free lift, resulting in less engine thrust and, as a result, reduced fuel consumption." - Airbus

Airbus developed a technical solution to ensure the aircraft remain safely positioned at a steady altitude throughout the 'paired' flight. The uplift can reduce CO2 emissions by at least 5% per trip.

Scaling SAF

Airbus is joining the Minnesota SAF Hub, the first large-scale SAF Hub in the US committed to scaling SAF production and replacing conventional jet fuel.

The Minnesota SAF HUB brings together stakeholders like Airbus and Delta who share a commitment to aggressively decarbonizing the airline industry.

"With Delta, we are redefining the future of aviation. By leveraging our combined expertise, we are accelerating groundbreaking innovations—from advancing cutting-edge flight techniques to scaling up the production of renewable fuels (SAF). Together, we are addressing today’s challenges and shaping a more connected, lower-carbon future for generations of travelers to come." - Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications at Airbus

Delta and Airbus' multi-year SAF strategy is committed to:

• Environmental and water stewardship at all points along the SAF value chain, beginning with feedstock and at every step of the SAF production process.
• Producing affordable, low-carbon SAF by developing an integrated value chain from production source and processing to refining, blending, and use at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
• Fostering adoption of innovative solutions and technology breakthroughs to accelerate the SAF transformation journey and scale up commercial progress.
• Supporting university and private-sector research and collaboration to address scientific and technical hurdles associated with the commercially viable production of ultra-low carbon SAF from regenerative agricultural inputs.

Delta Sustainable Skies Lab

Airbus was a founding partner of Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab when it launched in 2023. The Lab’s mission is to unleash the power of innovation to reduce air travel's climate impact.

The Delta Sustainable Skies Lab will bridge the gap between ideas and proven innovation by focusing on clean fuel, efficient flying operations, revolutionary fleet concepts, sustainable travel, and business practices.

"Delta Sustainable Skies Lab is about pairing the operational expertise of our teams with innovators to inspire new ideas and spur industry advancement – it’s a place to showcase advancements and a movement to galvanize everyone with a stake in creating a more sustainable future of flight." - Delta Air Lines' Chief Sustainability Officer, Pamela Fletcher

Airbus and Delta are exploring the future of a hydrogen-powered aircraft through the Airbus ZEROe project. When using hydrogen combustion, gas turbines with modified fuel injectors and fuel systems are powered with hydrogen, similarly to how aircraft are powered today.

In the second method, hydrogen fuel cells create electrical energy that powers electric motors turning a propeller or fan. This is a fully electric propulsion system, different from the propulsion system on aircraft currently in service.

Airbus UpNext

Airbus UpNext is an Airbus subsidiary focusing on developing future technologies for the aerospace industry. It uses its demonstrators to develop and mature concepts, products, and services for potential radical technological breakthroughs.

Its three locations in France, Germany, and Spain, contribute to the development and testing of future technologies.

Airbus UpNext's mission is:

• To identify disruptive aerospace trends and technology concepts and evaluate their potential as viable products.
• To test real-world applications for emerging aerospace technologies.
• To further accelerate traditional research cycles, developing proof of concept and completing both ground and flight testing with scale and speed

Current Airbus UpNext projects

DragonFly

The Airbus UpNext DragonFly demonstrator takes inspiration from the dragonfly's vision and intelligent flight abilities. During its testing phase, Airbus UpNext tested its flightpath capability, automated landing technology, and pilot assistance technology.

A dragonfly has phenomenal vision, the ability to see 360°, and can recognize landmarks, which helps it define its territorial boundaries.

Airbus UpNext is developing systems and testing to review and identify features in the landscape that enable the aircraft to 'see' and safely maneuver within its surroundings.

This innovation can offer an additional layer of safety for aircraft, particularly in emergency operations.

In the unlikely situation where a crew is unable to control the aircraft, Airbus UpNext DragonFly can redirect the flight to the nearest appropriate airport and facilitate a safe landing.

HyPower

Airbus UpNext launched a demonstrator program exploring non-propulsive energy through the use of hydrogen fuel cells, known as HyPower.

On conventional airliners, the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) with the engines provides the energy required to power a number of non-propulsive aircraft functions, such as air conditioning, onboard lighting, and electric power for avionics. The APU runs on traditional jet fuel.

Airbus UpNext will replace the current APU of an A330 with a hydrogen fuel cell system that generates electricity. The hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator aims to reduce the emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and noise levels associated with a traditional APU.

New design features and integration techniques will improve the safety and operation of future hydrogen-powered aircraft. They will show that a fuel cell can operate stably in flight and restart as needed.

"We want to demonstrate the operability and integration of the system, including refueling the aircraft with hydrogen. We will demonstrate this system in realistic conditions, climbing to 25,000 ft and flying for one hour with 10kg of gaseous hydrogen on board." - CEO of Airbus UpNext, Michael Augello