In a major blow to the global push for greener aviation, European aerospace giant Airbus has reportedly suspended its ambitious plans to deliver a zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered commercial jet by 2035. The move, detailed in a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, underscores growing skepticism within the aviation industry over hydrogen’s readiness as a viable alternative to conventional jet fuel and raises broader questions about the feasibility of the EU’s aggressive climate targets.

Since its bold announcement in 2020, Airbus has invested more than $1.7 billion into the development of a hydrogen-powered aircraft. Marketed as a cornerstone of aviation’s green transformation, the project aimed to revolutionize air travel by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with the EU’s broader Green Deal to make the bloc carbon-neutral by 2050.

Yet, after four years of research and development, insiders told the WSJ that the company has quietly scaled back the program. In early February 2025, Airbus reportedly informed its staff that the budget for the hydrogen aircraft project would be slashed, and its timeline delayed indefinitely. No revised schedule has been released.

Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO and once a vocal champion of the hydrogen push, acknowledged in a February meeting that the initiative had failed to produce a commercially viable prototype. Engineers are now being instructed to rework the concept in a second “development loop” – a technical euphemism for going back to the drawing board.

From the outset, the 2035 target was met with raised........

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