Airbus is working on a generation of new aircraft. Two projects are underway for this purpose, CEO Guillaume Faury said during an explanation of the annual results. One of the aircraft must fly on hydrogen, the other must replace the aircraft manufacturer’s best-selling A320 type. The successor must be put into use by 2035.
The hydrogen plane should have a range of about 1,600 kilometers. Initially it will be developed on a relatively small scale with room for about a hundred passengers. After that, the idea is to gradually scale up, which will depend on “success over time,” according to Faury. The other project, aimed at the successor to the A320, concerns a medium-range aircraft. That aircraft will be powered by sustainable aviation fuel and can accommodate 140 to 240 passengers, depending on the subtype.
“We are in the testing phase,” Faury explained. Airbus is experimenting with, among other things, the wingspan of the aircraft and propulsion systems.
Airbus reported earlier today that it could deliver more aircraft this year than last year, despite delivery problems and parts shortages. This would allow the European aircraft manufacturer to widen the gap with its troubled American competitor Boeing. That company has aircraft of the 737 type, which is comparable to the A320.
Boeing became controversial last month after a door panel on a Boeing aircraft came loose during a flight. It later turned out that there were loose bolts in that door panel and that several bolts appeared to be missing. Loose bolts were also subsequently found in other aircraft.
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