Airbus Collaborates With Delta Airline To Get Feedback On Hydrogen Powered Aircraft Products

JAKARTA - US airline Delta Air Lines Inc will assist aircraft manufacturer Airbus in its efforts to develop hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft. This was announced by the company's executives on Thursday, March 17.

Delta is the first US-based airline to partner with a European aircraft maker for hydrogen aircraft. Atlanta-based Delta said the partnership did not require any financial investment on its part.

Airbus has plans to produce the hydrogen-powered “ZEROe” small passenger plane to enter service by 2035. “We want to get feedback from customers while the new aircraft is being developed,” Amanda Simpson, Airbus vice president for research and technology, said in an interview.

"We're in the ... pre-product development phase, where we're trying to clearly understand what might happen, what would work," Simpson told Reuters.

Last month, Airbus said it would build a demonstrator to test propulsion technology for hydrogen aircraft in collaboration with France-US, and engine maker CFM International.

Amelia DeLuca, vice president of Sustainability at Delta, said the collaboration would focus on understanding the requirements for new aircraft deployments including green hydrogen production in the United States and accessibility at the country's airports.

The airline said the partnership would also advocate for the future of decarbonization in aviation, including the hydrogen pathway, with key stakeholders.

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co is more skeptical about the commercial prospects for hydrogen-powered air transport by 2035. They are placing a greater public focus on sustainable aviation fuels.

Delta is one of Airbus' largest customers in the US. As of the end of December, its fleet had 368 Airbus aircraft. The company has purchase commitments for another 245 Airbus aircraft and has options for an additional 120 aircraft.