Airbus and MTU Aero Engines are establishing a joint venture dedicated to the development and commercialisation of a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell engine.
“By establishing a dedicated and highly agile organisational set-up, the partners aim to accelerate technology development, design, testing and certification of a revolutionary propulsion system for aviation based on a hydrogen fuel cell,” said the companies in a press release.
“This non-binding agreement is subject to standard regulatory approvals and the completion of social processes at European and national levels,” said the release. “The new joint venture is expected to start operations in 2027.”
“Our planned joint venture is the next logical step in our shared vision of a hydrogen-based propulsion concept for aviation,” said Bruno Fichefeux, Head of Future Programmes at Airbus. “By pooling our respective technology and expertise into a dedicated entity, we are establishing a European powerhouse capable of transforming advanced research into industrialised, certifiable electric propulsion systems. This new company will help secure strategic sovereignty in the next generation of aviation technologies while strengthening our ability to achieve the long-term ZEROe ambition.”
“Our ambitious goal is to pave the way for a newly developed, safe, reliable and economical propulsion system that will contribute to climate-neutral aviation,” said Dr. Stefan Weber, SVP Engineering and Technology at MTU Aero Engines. “This project is a crucial milestone on our path to the first hydrogen-powered engine – and this is true European technology leadership. To that end, we want to create a company that covers the entire life cycle of fuel cell powertrains – from development and testing through certification to commercialisation.”
For more information
https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-07-airbus-and-mtu-aero-engines-to-create-a-joint-venture-to-develop-a-fully-electric-hydrogen-fuel-cell#related-assets