Vienna . Despite the corona pandemic, the aircraft manufacturer Airbus is sticking to its plan of bringing a hydrogen aircraft onto the market by 2035 at the latest. “The aim is to implement green flying. And we are expecting a lot from hydrogen, ”said the Germany boss of the Airbus civil aircraft division, André Walter, in Hamburg. Last summer, Airbus presented its three possible research platforms for a hydrogen aircraft despite the corona crisis.
Hybrid aircraft, i.e. machines with hydrogen and electric propulsion, are also at the top of the development list. “At the moment we are assuming that it will not be possible to do without combustion engines entirely, especially for medium and long-haul routes,” said the managing director of Airbus Operations GmbH. In larger aircraft, a purely electric drive does not provide enough thrust when taking off. “The state of the art is therefore a hybrid.”
Availability issue
Walter emphasized that it was not just about developing the technology for a hydrogen aircraft. It is also necessary to produce the hydrogen green and to set up a corresponding infrastructure. The hydrogen must be available at airports around the world so that the machines can also be refueled. “There is still a lot of work to be done.” (DPA)
