Airbus tells EU hydrogen won't be widely used in planes before 2050

Most airliners will rely on traditional jet engines until at least 2050, with the introduction of zero-emissions hydrogen limited to regional and short-range planes, Airbus told EU officials in a briefing released on Thursday. The planemaker has emerged as the industry’s leading champion for hydrogen propulsion, saying it plans to develop the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035. It has not publicly said whether the technology will be ready in time for the European industry’s next major milestone - a replacement for the medium-haul A320 in the 2030s - but February’s briefing to EU officials appeared to rule this out. “Zero-emission hydrogen aircraft will be primarily focused on regional and shorter-range aircraft from 2035. Which means that current and future iterations of highly efficient gas turbines will still be required as we move towards 2050, especially for long-haul operations,” the presentation said. Slides from the presentation to the office of EC VP Frans Timmermans were released by InfluenceMap, an investor-led climate lobbying watchdog which said it obtained them through a freedom of information request.<br/>