Plans to develop hydrogen aircraft can’t be taken at face value, the head of Brussels-based environmental lobby group Transport & Environment has warned.
William Todts, chief executive of Transport & Environment, hailed an Airbus proposal to bring a hydrogen gas-fuelled aircraft to market by 2035, saying: “It’s good to hear the world’s biggest aircraft manufacturer say it’s going to develop a new technology.”
But he insisted he remained sceptical, noting that Airbus is “making so much money selling aircraft with incremental improvements in efficiency”.
He added: “There is a new aircraft type every 20 years that is 20%-25% more efficient. Some of that is fuel efficiency, making the aircraft a bit more aerodynamic, the engine a bit more efficient. Some of it is getting more people on the aircraft. That is good, but it’s incremental. Betting the company on a completely different fuel is disruptive. Why would Airbus do that?
“If you’re a chief executive responsible for employees, responsible to shareholders and someone says let’s invest €30 billion in something completely new, you might bankrupt the company.”