Marte van der Graaf works as Aviation Policy Officer at Transport & Environment Germany. Her focus areas include sustainable aviation fuels and hydrogen and electric aircraft.
| Transport & Environment DeutschlandTwo years ago, our Executive Director William Todts warned that Airbus’ announcements about a hydrogen aircraft could be more PR strategy than real transformation. Now the doubts have been confirmed. Airbus has not invested the announced 15 billion euros. It neither supports regulation that would strengthen the hydrogen market, nor is it urging Boeing to enter the hydrogen aviation market.
This is a tacit admission that Airbus is postponing its hydrogen project. A clear break with the heroic announcements of recent years, which promised innovations in the style of the Wright brothers and Otto Lilienthal. A crash landing instead of take-off. In the end, Airbus was only concerned with profit, not climate protection.
Anyone who ever believed that Airbus would voluntarily invest billions in a risky technology underestimates the balance of power in the industry. A company with a de facto monopoly position only acts if rules set clear incentives. Now it is claimed that the slow hydrogen market is delaying the project. A transparent excuse. Airbus could have provided the impetus itself.
The question remains as to whether the 1.5 billion euros of public money in France was well invested. One thing is clear – instead of actually producing a “green aircraft”, Airbus has used the vision to appease political decision-makers. The reality? More fossil-fuel airplanes in the sky, and no breakthrough in hydrogen, electric or hybrid drives. Much ado about nothing.
The end of the hydrogen program is a wake-up call; the growth forecasts for aviation are at odds with the climate targets. Airbus’ withdrawal exacerbates this gap. The most important lesson is that, without binding regulation, the industry will continue to pay mere lip service. It's only a matter of time before China enters the race for clean aviation in earnest. Can we really afford an aircraft industry that rests on its laurels?
Governments must act. We need targeted support programs for emission-free aircraft, for example through exemption from airport charges, preferential take-off and landing times and priority on publicly financed routes. Electric drives should be rewarded more than biofuels in EU regulation. New technologies also need to be certified more quickly.
The era of big promises is over. The only thing that counts now is what is actually implemented. The crucial question is: will the current German government have the courage to judge Airbus by its actions – or will it continue to be distracted by fine words?
