Airbus Delays Hydrogen Plane Amid ‘Huge’ Technology Challenges

Airbus SE said that one of its most ambitious projects for future propulsion — using hydrogen to power an aircraft — is progressing slower than planned because of the technological hurdles involved, dealing a setback to the industry’s efforts to clean up air travel.

“We recognise that developing a hydrogen ecosystem — including infrastructure, production, distribution and regulatory frameworks — is a huge challenge requiring global collaboration and investment,” Airbus said in a statement. “Recent developments indicate that progress on key enablers, particularly the availability of hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources at scale, is slower than anticipated.”