During the Airbus Summit, which took place on March 24-25, Airbus showcases advanced hydrogen aircraft technologies, key next-generation single-aisle aircraft technologies and more.
On Tuesday (March 25, 2025), Airbus outlined a variety of key technologies that were showcased at the 2025 Airbus Summit, which took place March 24-25, 2025, in Toulouse. During the summit, the company highlighted advanced hydrogen aircraft technologies, including a revised ZEROe project roadmap, as well as key next-generation single -aisle aircraft technologies, among others. Airbus reconfirmed their commitment to market a commercially viable aircraft, and also presented some of the key technology building blocks to enable the advent of a fully electric fuel-cell powered commercial aircraft, following years of research into hydrogen aviation.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Airbus’ Head of Future Programmes, Bruno Fichefeux, said,
“Hydrogen is at the heart of our commitment to decarbonise aviation. While we’ve adjusted our roadmap, our dedication to hydrogen-powered flight is unwavering. Just as we saw in the automotive sector, fully electric aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells have the potential in the longer term to revolutionise air transport for the better, complementing the sustainable aviation fuel pathway.”
Airbus’ Head of the ZEROe Project, Glenn Llewellyn, added,
“Over the last five years, we have explored multiple hydrogen-propulsion concepts, before down-selecting this fully electric concept. We are confident it could provide the necessary power density for a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft and could evolve as we mature the technology. In the coming years, we will concentrate on advancing the storage, distribution and propulsion systems, while also advocating for the regulatory framework needed to ensure these aircraft can take flight.”
These technologies were showcased as part of a new, proposed concept of a hydrogen aircraft powered by four, 2-megawatt electric propulsion engines. Each of these engines will be driven by a fuel cell system that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy, with the four fuel cell systems being supplied via two liquid hydrogen tanks. In 2023, Airbus demonstrated a 1.2MW hydrogen-propulsion system, followed in 2024 by end-to-end testing of an integrated fuel cell stack, electric motors, gearboxes, inverters and heat exchangers.
Addressing liquid hydrogen handling and distribution challenges in flight, Airbus, in collaboration with Air Liquide Advanced Technologies, has developed the Liquid Hydrogen BreadBoard (LH2BB) in Grenoble, France. Ground testing is planned for 2027 at the Electric Aircraft System Test House in Munich, combining the propulsive bench and hydrogen distribution system for comprehensive system validation.
Airbus' Next Generation Single-Aisle Aircraft Concept - Courtesy Airbus
In a separate press release on Tuesday (March 25, 2025), Airbus announced that during the summit, they also provided an update on their roadmap to pioneer the future of commercial aviation in the decades to come. This included potential ‘technology bricks’ to prepare next generation single-aisle aircraft, which could enter service in the second half of the 2030s, offering a 20-30 percent increase in fuel efficiency, as well as the capability to operate on 100 percent SAF. Airbus also unveiled new design concepts showcasing different configurations being studied for future aircraft.
Technologies include more efficient engines, including open fan designs, and long, foldable wings allowing for substantial aerodynamic gains, as well as next-generation batteries to enable hybrid architectures where electricity is used to support propulsive and non-propulsive functions.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Airbus’ Head of Future Programmes, Bruno Fichefeux, said,
“Every second, an Airbus aircraft takes off – connecting people, cargo and business around the world. We have the most advanced aircraft portfolio in the market and the A321XLR is at the very forefront of today’s single-aisle aircraft technology. Now we are taking the best of what we’ve done and preparing another jump to make our single-aisle aircraft even better and pioneer the future of flight, when the time is right.”
Airbus’ Head of R&T, Karim Mokaddem, added,
“Airbus teams are working relentlessly towards the key decisions that will ultimately finalise the choices of the aircraft’s engine type, wing design and additional innovations once their maturity is demonstrated. Each of these technology building blocks will play a key role in enabling a new generation of commercial aircraft that will deliver step change improvements in all domains for efficiency and productivity and bring a considerable contribution to the decarbonisation of air travel in the decades to come.”
All of these technologies were discussed at the Airbus Summit 2025 held om March 24th and 25, 2025, where Airbus gathered industry players and visionaries to discuss the future of sustainable aerospace.
Source: Airbus