Delta Air Lines and Airbus have signed a memorandum of understanding calling for collaboration on the research and development of hydrogen-powered aircraft and the related infrastructure “ecosystem,” the Atlanta-based airline said on March 17.

Part of the carrier's Flight to Net Zero plan to scale and advance sustainable technologies, the agreement makes Delta the first U.S. airline to partner with Airbus on the European aerospace group's Zero E program to develop a hydrogen-powered, narrowbody-class airliner scheduled to enter service in 2035. Airbus has already signed agreements with three other airlines—European budget carrier EasyJet, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, and Air New Zealand—to study infrastructure needs for future hydrogen-powered aircraft.

“To pull the future of sustainable aviation forward, we need to accelerate the development and commercialization of potentially disruptive technologies,” said Delta chief sustainability officer Pam Fletcher. “Hydrogen fuel is an exciting concept that has the potential to redefine the status quo. These tangible steps lay the groundwork for the next generation of aviation.”

Under the agreement, Delta will identify fleet and network expectations and the operational and infrastructure requirements needed to develop commercial aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel, said the airline.

The areas of focus include exploring the technical and economic viability of hydrogen-fueled aircraft, identifying the pathway for introduction into Delta’s fleet and operations, and gauging the aircraft’s potential performance in the fleet. Those considerations include flight-range limits, refueling time, and airport compatibility, said the airline.

Other considerations involve assessing the infrastructure needed to develop “green” hydrogen, bring it to scale, facilitate its availability at airports nationwide, and analyze regulation and costs. Finally, said Delta, it will partner with Airbus on advocating for a decarbonized future in aviation, including pathways to hydrogen production, with key industry stakeholders.

"To decarbonize aviation, we need to develop the right technology bricks and a dynamic hydrogen eco-system," said Julie Kitcher, Airbus's executive vice president of communications and corporate affairs. “Through close collaboration with key partners, such as Delta, we will integrate our customers' expertise and specific needs to ensure our zero-emission aircraft will be a game-changer for sustainable aerospace."

The announcement builds on Delta's recent investment through its pension plans in the TPG Rise Climate fund, which concentrates on supporting climate solutions at scale. Delta has also joined the First Movers Coalition, a public-private partnership, and platform designed to accelerate and scale the development of breakthrough climate technologies.

Launched in September 2020, Airbus’s Zero E program encompasses three possibilities for hydrogen-powered platforms, a decision on which it expects to make in 2024. Plans call for it to fly a technology demonstrator in 2025. Last year, engineers began working to develop a hydrogen ground demonstrator ready to help it to address complex technology risks around the ecosystem for hydrogen power, such as the fuel’s volume and cryogenic (low temperature) characteristics.

The most novel of the three designs shows a blended wing airframe that Airbus indicated would carry up to 200 passengers on flights ranging to about 2,000 nm. The exceptionally wide fuselage, in which the wing merges with the main section of the aircraft, would provide space for a cabin, as well as for hydrogen storage and distribution.

Airbus has also presented a more conventional narrowbody model that would carry between 120 and 200 passengers on sectors of around 2,000 nm. It would base the propulsion system on a pair of modified gas turbine engines powered by liquid hydrogen stored and distributed via tanks located behind the rear pressure bulkhead. The design features swept-back outer wing surfaces.

The third design is a 100-seat twin turboprop. It also would feature modified gas turbines fueled by hydrogen and would fly to a projected range of about 1,000 nm.

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