BackWe’ll bring zero-emission aircraft to service by 2035
We believe that every segment of aviation should be flown green, so our focus is to have hydrogen as fuel, given its superb features
PremiumNew Delhi: Airbus SE is working on the next-generation aircraft that will rely on hydrogen as the primary source to power its engines. While the concept is still at a nascent stage, it will be the successor to the hugely popular A320 family of airplanes, and will usher in an era of clean flying, Jean-Brice Dumont, executive vice president, engineering, Airbus, and a member of its executive committee, said in an interview. Edited excerpts:
What’s the update on the development of ‘ZEROe’ planes?
We will bring zero-emission aircraft to service by 2035. We haven’t given a specific market segment because we are working on technologies to make this development possible. Our focus is to have hydrogen as fuel, as it has superb features in terms of density and other characteristics. We will, however, have to work on storage (of hydrogen). Ultimately, we believe that every segment of aviation should be flown green.
What are the different timelines for this concept?
If I split it, during the first few years, starting now, we will work on technologies behind the concept. For instance, Hydrogen needs to be stored in liquid form at a very low temperature (-253C). Hydrogen has a tendency to leak and evaporate, so we need to control it. These are technologies that we must master before launching. In the years to come, we will try to make the underlying technology cheaper. We will need to demonstrate flights, find suppliers, etc. The last phase will be the development of the aircraft. All this will be done by 2035.
Airport infrastructure will be key for the ZEROe planes. We are building alliances with airport companies to prepare required technology to store hydrogen. Hydrogen as a fuel will definitely bring down pollution.
However, we will need to start bringing (storing) hydrogen at the airports before the planes come in. We also need to (develop technology to) safely bring liquid hydrogen to the plane.
What’s the next product you are planning to launch?
Our next product is A321XLR. The A321XLR ranges up to 4,700 miles (nautical miles). The certification process is being monitored by authorities. We plan A321XLR’s entry into service by the second half of 2023. There is a very significant interest in the aircraft from around the world because it bridges domestic transportation with cross continental travel. We are at the same time working on heavy improvements of Airbus A350, which is a long range aircraft.
From a technological perspective, what are the steps taken by Airbus to further enhance safety inside the aircraft, especially post-pandemic?
Over the last few years, we have increased safety features in the aircraft. From a pandemic perspective, the air circulation inside aircraft is very pure. Of course, we are looking to enhance it further. (We have also introduced) coatings on materials that are antimicrobial and antiviral, air filtering, and as many touchless features as possible inside the plane, lavatories and areas of common contact.
We need to think about the next aircraft design, and we have lots of ideas for this, but we must work very closely with the medical sector for this. Such materials, coatings and touchless systems will make the aircraft even more resilient to any kind of virus. This is the short-term view. The mid-term view is to have antiviral and antimicrobial material on planes, like the armrest.
How do you expect the aviation sector to emerge from covid-induced crisis?
We know there is an appetite for aviation across the world. We see domestic aviation reviving, though this is much slower in Europe than in India. We expect short to medium range travel to restart (at pre-covid levels) after the pandemic is over, but long-range travel will take a few years to recover because this part has been hit a little more deeply.
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