Airbus, MTU Aero to form JV for hydrogen fuel cell engine commercialisation

Airbus and MTU Aero Engines will launch a new joint venture (JV) to develop and commercialise a hydrogen fuel cell electric aircraft engine, with operations expected to begin next year.

The new non-binding agreement follows on from a 2025 (MOU), with the aircraft maker and engine manufacturer planning to combine their engineering and manufacturing competencies.

The JV would look to develop, design, test, and certify fuel cell propulsion systems for aircraft on an undisclosed time scale.

While Airbus had planned to develop commercial hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035, it early last year, attributing the move to slower-than-expected technological advancements and infrastructure barriers.

The aircraft maker had previously demonstrated a 1.5MW fuel cell engine.

Dr Stefan Weber, Senior Vice-President, Engineering and Technology at MTU, said the collaboration is a landmark on the route to hydrogen-powered engines.

“We want to create a company that covers the entire lifecycle of fuel cell powertrains, from development and testing through certification and commercialisation,” he added.

Pure hydrogen in aviation has faced tough barriers in recent years.UK-US fuel cell aviation firm ZeroAvia and limited the scope of its work earlier this year after a limited fundraising round at the end of 2025. In 2024, US-based Universal Hydrogen went bankrupt.

Aside from concerns about the energy efficiency of using hydrogen as a fuel, the high volume storage needs of the gas could require an entire reworking of existing airframes.

Concerns have also been raised around the ground logistics of fuel supply to and dispensing at airports.

In the near-term, airlines, governments, and aviation bodies remain focused on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with mandates and regulations spreading globally.

Europe’s ReFuel Aviation regulation requires 10% of fuel to come from SAF by 2030, with targeted portions increasing gradually to 70% by 2050.