Following the news that Airbus is increasing its investments in numerous sustainable aviation technologies;

William Davies, Aerospace Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“Airbus is reacting to global pressure to reduce its emissions and further enable its existing investments in sustainable aviation. The aerospace industry is one of the most difficult industries to de-carbonise, as highly developed jet engines far outpace any green alternatives in terms of power and affordability. However, Airbus has announced that it has increased investments in several technologies including hydrogen and battery systems designed to establish the future of green aviation.

“What is noticeable about these investments is that they are not just focused on developing the technology itself, but the infrastructure required to enable widespread uptake. Investments including a partnership with ENGIE solutions to create hydrogen production and distribution stations, as well as a partnership with ArianeGroup, indicate that Airbus sees hydrogen in aviation as increasingly viable and it’s attempting to develop the necessary systems to enable this in the future.

“The company also announced increased investments in battery technology, working with Renault to develop energy storage solutions and develop future batteries. These, alongside investments into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), suggest that Airbus is diversifying its investments in order to develop future solutions.

“Despite the programs announced by Airbus, there are significant barriers to the uptake of sustainable technologies in aviation. The company is aiming to have a hydrogen aircraft in service by 2035 but the lack of hydrogen production could delay this date. New aircrafts produced by Airbus are able to fly using up to 50% SAF, however the main delay in that percentage increase is lack of supply, something the company is seeking to address through its partnership with Neste. As sustainable technology becomes more viable, more attention will be paid on how SAFs and hydrogen are produced, with pressure to make sure that production is sustainable.”