'A historic moment' - Airbus unveils plans for world's first ZERO-EMISSION commercial planes
The Bristol-based firm has released three carbon-neutral designs, calling them "the most important transition this industry has ever seen".
Last updated 21st Sep 2020
Plans for the first ever zero-emission commercial aircraft have been released by Airbus, which has a major site near Bristol.
The three potential designs use hydrogen as their primary power source.
They have been named 'turbofan', 'turbopop' and 'blended-wing body'.
The aerospace giant claims that the new technology is the best way of reducing the aviation industry's environmental impact.
It is hoped that the proposed planes, which would hold 100-200 passengers each, will be available to the public by 2035.
Older, less sustainable aircraft could now be retired earlier than previously forecast by the company.
'A historic moment for the commercial aviation sector'
Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO, said: "This is a historic moment for the commercial aviation sector as a whole and we intend to play a leading role in the most important transition this industry has ever seen.
"The concepts we unveil today offer the world a glimpse of our ambition to drive a bold vision for the future of zero-emission flight.
“I strongly believe that the use of hydrogen - both in synthetic fuels and as a primary power source for commercial aircraft - has the potential to significantly reduce aviation's climate impact".
According to Airbus, government funding will be needed to assist research and technology for the new designs.
The firm employs around 3,000 people in Filton, but announced plans to cut an estimated 1,700 jobs across the UK in June - including 295 Filton workers.