Hydrogen

An important decarbonisation pathway for aviation

Hydrogen

Investing in hydrogen propulsion technology

AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT

To ensure that future generations can continue to experience the joy of flying, Airbus is investing in several promising decarbonisation solutions. One of these is hydrogen, as hydrogen-powered aircraft offer the potential to reduce aviation's reliance on fossil fuels. 

Hydrogen has been safely and effectively used in the space and automobile industries for decades. Today’s challenge is to adapt its use to commercial aviation. Hydrogen’s extremely high energy-to-mass ratio makes it very appealing for aerospace applications, providing the potential for significantly cutting emissions. The main hurdle is its low ambient density, which means it needs to be stored on the aircraft at -253°C. This requires advanced storage technologies to make hydrogen practical for use on an aircraft. 

Airbus committed to taking on this challenge in 2020 when it launched the ZEROe project, which aims to bring a hydrogen-powered aircraft to the skies. After investing in research into both hydrogen combustion and hydrogen fuel cell technology, Airbus determined in 2025 that fuel cells are the most promising option for a future hydrogen-powered aircraft. 

ZEROe fully electric hydrogen-powered four pod aircraft

ZEROe: a hydrogen-powered, fully electric aircraft

FUTURE AIRCRAFT

After extensive research, Airbus has determined that the most promising use for hydrogen in aviation is through hydrogen fuel cells. This means the future ZEROe aircraft will be fully electric. It will feature four electric propellers, each powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which transform the hydrogen into electricity through a chemical reaction.

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ZEROe Fuel Cell Engine Model - Reveal

Developing hydrogen fuel cells for aviation purposes

POWERING HYDROGEN FLIGHT

After almost five years of research into hydrogen propulsion, Airbus has determined that the most promising technology will be hydrogen fuel cells. These cells are scalable, meaning they can be combined into fuel cell stacks to increase their power output. Airbus founded Aerostack, a joint venture with ElringKlinger, to research, develop and assemble the fuel cell stacks for the future ZEROe aircraft.

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ZEROe fully electric hydrogen-powered four pod aircraft at airport

Contributing to a global hydrogen ecosystem

COLLABORATING ON HYDROGEN

In order for ZEROe to be a success, more investment in hydrogen storage and infrastructure is needed. Significant technological, economic, and regulatory hurdles remain before hydrogen can be adopted at scale within the aviation sector. To support the expansion of this industry, Airbus is collaborating with a variety of industry players, including energy providers and airports, to ensure hydrogen can help us to take significant steps towards decarbonising aviation.

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Singapore Airshow 2024 Before Opening A350-1000

Contributing to global decarbonisation goals

A DIVERSIFIED APPROACH

Airbus is committed to helping the aviation industry decarbonise. The ZEROe project is just one of several pathways we are pursuing in pursuit of this goal. We are also developing a next-generation single-aisle aircraft that will bring significant improvements in costs, operations and emissions reductions. In parallel, we are investing in future technologies, air traffic management solutions, sustainable aviation fuels and more.

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