Airbus Delays ZEROe Hydrogen Aircraft Program by Up to a Decade

Airbus has officially announced that the timeline for its ZEROe hydrogen-powered aircraft program will be extended, potentially delaying its launch by five to ten years beyond the original 2035 target. This update was reported by the Financial Times and confirmed by Airbus on February 7, 2025.

The European aircraft manufacturer communicated this development to a segment of its workforce on February 6, 2025. According to the French trade union Force Ouvrière, which disclosed the news publicly, Airbus will also reduce the budget for the ZEROe program by 25%. In addition, previously planned tests of hydrogen-fed fuel cell propulsion using an A380 as a flying testbed have been canceled.

Commitment to Hydrogen-Powered Aviation Remains

Despite these setbacks, Airbus reaffirmed its dedication to developing a hydrogen-powered airliner. However, even if the program continues in a scaled-down form, the delay marks a significant hurdle for the hydrogen aviation sector. Airbus remains the largest aviation manufacturer to have committed to advancing this technology on a large scale.

Details of the ZEROe Program

Airbus ZEROe initiative was originally designed to introduce a family of three hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035. The lineup includes a turboprop aircraft intended for fewer than 100 passengers and two mid-sized airliner concepts accommodating up to 200 passengers. One of these mid-sized designs features a blended-wing-body configuration.

Developing a new aircraft with innovative propulsion technology is inherently complex. In the case of hydrogen-powered aviation, the challenge is further compounded by the necessity of establishing a global infrastructure capable of servicing and refueling these aircraft with sufficient quantities of green hydrogen.