Airbus Says Industry’s Hydrogen Plans Are Delayed Up to 10 Years

Airbus SE said the aviation industry’s ability to power commercial aircraft using hydrogen for fuel is as much as a decade behind schedule, in a setback to the sector’s efforts to hit its net-zero emissions target by 2050.

The biggest barrier to hydrogen propulsion is the slower-than-expected development of supporting infrastructure on the ground, Julie Kitcher, Airbus’s global head of sustainability, said in an interview in Sydney. That includes the availability of green hydrogen, fuel distribution and storage, and the required regulatory oversight, she said.

“What we see is a five to 10-year delay in the overall readiness of ...