Airbus Reveals Plans To Fly Hydrogen-Fueled A380 In Bid To Replace Diesel
Airbus has announced its plans to modify a A380 superjumbo jet with a hydrogen-powered engine, in a bid to further the possibility of lower-emission air travel.
The company revealed it’s working with CFM International, an engine maker, to create the test plane. The aircraft will come with a tweaked engine capable of handling the higher temperatures at which hydrogen burns.
At the moment, the plane’s first test flights are scheduled to take place in 2026.
According to CNBC, Airbus is all-in on the hydrogen powertrain, and is even working on a passenger aircraft powered by the fuel that could become a reality by 2035.
However, a challenge of using the unconventional fuel is that it requires additional equipment for storage.
This would add weight to the aircraft, thereby reducing the number of passengers or cargo that can be placed on board.
That’s one reason Airbus decided to make use of the A380, as the world’s largest passenger plane has ample space to store the liquid hydrogen tanks needed to fuel the test engine.
As Bloomberg notes, the test program could be a step toward the airline industry’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by the 2050, as agreed upon by its main trade group last year.
“To achieve these goals by 2050, the industry has to take action now and we are,” summed up Gael Meheust, CFM’s CEO.
