Airbus reveals concept for zero emission, hydrogen-powered commercial planes to fly by 2035
NEW DELHI: Airbus on Monday revealed at its Toulouse base three concepts for the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft which could enter service by 2035. The European airspace major says these concepts rely on hydrogen as a primary power source, which it “believes holds exceptional promise as a clean aviation fuel and is likely to be a solution for aerospace and many other industries to meet their climate-neutral targets.”
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said: “This is a historic moment for the commercial aviation sector as a whole and we intend to play a leading role in the most important transition this industry has ever seen. The concepts we unveil today offer the world a glimpse of our ambition to drive a bold vision for the future of zero-emission flight. I strongly believe that the use of hydrogen – both in synthetic fuels and as a primary power source for commercial aircraft – has the potential to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact.”
The three concepts – all codenamed “ZEROe” – for a first climate neutral zero-emission commercial aircraft include:
Turbofan design for “120-200 passengers with a range of over 2,000 nautical miles, capable of operating transcontinentally and powered by a modified gas-turbine engine running on hydrogen, rather than jet fuel, through combustion. The liquid hydrogen will be stored and distributed via tanks located behind the rear pressure bulkhead,” Airbus said in a statement.
