Airbus and MTU Aero Engines have announced plans to strengthen their partnership through the creation of a joint venture focused on developing and bringing to market a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell engine for aviation. The proposed company marks the next stage in the collaboration between the two organisations, following the Memorandum of Understanding they signed at the Paris Air Show in June 2025.
Expected to begin operations in 2027, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals and completion of relevant European and national social processes, the joint venture will be established to accelerate the development of hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technology. By combining expertise, engineering capabilities and manufacturing resources from both businesses within a dedicated organisation, Airbus and MTU aim to advance the design, testing, certification and commercialisation of the technology.
“Our planned joint venture is the next logical step in our shared vision of a hydrogen-based propulsion concept for aviation. By pooling our respective technology and expertise into a dedicated entity, we are establishing a European powerhouse capable of transforming advanced research into industrialised, certifiable electric propulsion systems. This new company will help secure strategic sovereignty in the next generation of aviation technologies while strengthening our ability to achieve the long-term ZEROe ambition.”
– Bruno Fichefeux, Head of Future Programmes at Airbus.
“Our ambitious goal is to pave the way for a newly developed, safe, reliable and economical propulsion system that will contribute to climate-neutral aviation. This project is a crucial milestone on our path to the first hydrogen-powered engine – and this is true European technology leadership. To that end, we want to create a company that covers the entire life cycle of fuel cell powertrains – from development and testing through certification to commercialisation.”
– Dr. Stefan Weber, SVP Engineering and Technology at MTU Aero Engines.
The planned venture will bring together Airbus’ experience in commercial aircraft programmes, liquid hydrogen technologies and fuel cell propulsion with MTU Aero Engines’ expertise in fuel cell development, engine integration, validation, certification and maintenance. Together, the partners intend to establish a leading position in hydrogen fuel cell propulsion, with the long-term objective of delivering the first hydrogen-powered fuel cell propulsion system for use in commercial aviation.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology is widely regarded as a promising pathway towards reducing aviation’s environmental impact. By generating electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, the technology produces only water vapour as a byproduct during flight, eliminating carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions while supporting the industry’s transition towards lower-emission air transport.
The announcement builds on significant progress made by both companies in recent months. Airbus confirmed earlier this year that it was concentrating its ZEROe research on a fully electric fuel cell propulsion system after successful prototype and powertrain testing, alongside advances in complementary technologies such as cryogenics. Meanwhile, MTU Aero Engines has continued to progress its Flying Fuel Cell programme, completing the design of the demonstrator, beginning fuel cell stack manufacturing, successfully testing its eMoSys electric motor for the first time and bringing its first dedicated fuel cell test facility into operation in Munich.
Alongside the development of propulsion technology, Airbus and MTU Aero Engines will continue supporting the wider growth of the hydrogen aviation ecosystem, including the advancement of the regulatory frameworks and infrastructure needed to enable hydrogen-powered commercial flight in the years ahead.
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