New Airbus Project?
ZERO-e Concept from Airbus
Hi everyone! Welcome back to Brooke in the Air!
This week we’re looking at European Aerospace giant Airbus’s new project to ambitiously replace the A220, A220-R, and eventually the A320 and A320-neo.
Focusing on a new yet green project utilizing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and utilizing a narrow-body fuselage, the new project will focus on the development and advancement of hydrogen engines. Firm details were finally unveiled at Airbus’s headquarters in Toulouse, France this year (2025) at the Airbus Summit 2025.
UNVEILING
Interior diagram
Zero—e as it’s called, or ZERO-e, will emphasize hydrogen fuel cells and will be in the skies by as early as 2028. The single-aisle plane now has four engines, rather than six, each powered by their own fuel cell stack, making them independently powered.
The plan was to launch a zero-emission aircraft by 2035, but now the next-generation single-aisle aircraft is slated to enter service in the second half of the 2030s. Granted that’s the safe estimate, much more conservative. With all the new technology being trialed, the new clean-sheet design is exciting, utilizing carbon-fiber design material and hydrogen fuel cells.
With over a century and a quarter of development behind us, aerospace science and technology are pretty well established, as is the basic idea of what a commercial airliner looks like. It hasn't changed very much at all since the introduction of the jet engine in the 1950s.
On the other hand, aeronautics is far from a done deal. There's still a lot of room for technology to benefit from new tools, materials, and ideas. While the airliner of the 2030s might still look like the boring old cylinder-and-wings template that appeared in the 1930s, it can still benefit from remarkable innovations.
The problem for the predictors is that what these innovations will be is far from certain and how these innovations interact with things like the marketplace, regulations, and the infrastructure that supports the air industry makes predictions so difficult.
The design calls for four (4) hydrogen fuel cell turboprops and a fuselage about the same size as an A320.
DESIGN
From Airbus: “Every aspect of a future aircraft’s architecture is being carefully considered to optimise aerodynamic performance and fuel efficiency. From innovative positioning of engines and even foldable wingtips, to SAF-ready open fan rotors and hydrogen fuel cells, each design choice will contribute to maximizing efficiency in flight and reducing emissions.”
According to the company, the next generation of Airbus airliners will feature wings that mimic those of birds, making them lighter, thinner and longer. Based on work done at Airbus's Wing Technology Development Centre at Filton, England, which is home to the Wing of Tomorrow (WoT) research and technology program, the new wings will produce more lift for less drag. To offset these extra-long wings, they will be foldable, so the new planes will be able to use existing airport gates.
INNOVATIONS
Yes, the ZERO-e is supposed to halve carbon emissions across all routes and operating airlines and use entirely electrical power plus utilize folding wings. Though if airlines will go for this aircraft is unknown.
Engine concept - the open-fan design
Another remarkable innovation is a new jet engine that Airbus is working on which the ZERO-E will use. The Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) open fan engine demonstrator replaces the present turbofan and cowling of modern jet engines with an open turbofan that is larger and sits out in the open. This is claimed to reduce fuel consumption by 20% compared to present engines and will be able to run on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) at blends of up to 100%.
Along with new engines, Airbus wants to introduce hybridization, with lithium-ion or solid-state batteries and high voltage systems being used not only for propulsion, but as a way to run onboard functions like the air conditioning system or lighting, which would also reduce fuel consumption.
Another area is building materials.
Airbus wants to move away from Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) in favor of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Composites (CFRTP).
This new material is an improvement of CFRPs because it can be reshaped and reprocessed after forming, can be manufactured faster, has higher impact resistance, is recyclable and re-moldable, and has lower processing costs.
CONCLUSION
The fuselage is similar to the aging A220 it will replace along with the A320, and A320-Neo
Originally the ZERO-e was a 6-engine concept. Now the aircraft seems very much like a combination of the Dash-8 Q-400 Turboprop and the A220
The market simply isn't ready for hydrogen planes. The regulatory framework isn't there, nor is the hydrogen economy to provide the green or gold hydrogen fuel, so while the new iteration of the 100-seat, 1,000-nm-range (1,150 miles, 1,850 km) ZEROe hydrogen liner is more advanced, with six engines instead of four, it will remain in development for now. “Hydrogen is at the heart of our commitment to decarbonize aviation," says Airbus Head of Future Programmes Bruno Fichefeux.
Additionally, Mr. Fichefeux is quoted as saying, "While we've adjusted our roadmap, our dedication to hydrogen-powered flight is unwavering. Just as we saw in the automotive sector, fully electric aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells have the potential in the longer term to revolutionize air transport for the better, complementing the sustainable aviation fuel pathway."
Source: Airbus
