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🧃Hydrogen Planes: The Real Net Zero Was The Friends We Made Along The Way

Airbus has pushed back its hydrogen aircraft timeline, and the aviation industry’s net-zero dreams just hit some turbulence.

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The Strawman
February 12, 2025

Welcome back to The Strawman, the daily climate newsletter that’s grounded (bad joke, sorry) in reality. Today, we’re talking about why the future of flying clean just got delayed—and what that means for net-zero aviation. Let’s dive in.

Hydrogen Planes: Not Ready for Takeoff

Airbus has officially pushed back its plans to fly a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035. The new timeline? Unclear, but five to ten years later seems likely. The company remains “committed” to hydrogen, but developing the necessary infrastructure and renewable hydrogen supply at scale is proving harder—and slower—than expected.

The news is a blow to the aviation industry, which had hoped hydrogen planes could be a game-changer in the fight to reduce emissions. Engineers at Airbus have been working on zero-emission aircraft concepts since 2020, but progress has been hampered by budget cuts and logistical challenges. Plans to test hydrogen fuel cells on an A380 superjumbo? Scrapped.

Maybe the real Net Zero was the friends we made along the way (imaginary and non-existent?)

Industry Reality Check

In a recent update to the aviation sector’s net-zero road map, hydrogen planes are now expected to account for just 6% of emissions reductions by 2050, down from 20% in earlier estimates.

Instead, airlines are betting big on sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Made from waste oils, crops, and non-fossil feedstocks, SAFs can cut emissions by 70% compared to traditional jet fuel. The catch? They’re expensive and in limited supply, which means scaling them up will be a serious challenge.

I’d be lying if I said I knew what an SAF was prior to writing this

The Bigger Picture

Airbus’s delay highlights the broader issue with clean energy transitions in hard-to-abate sectors like aviation. It’s not enough to build a hydrogen-powered plane—you need an entire ecosystem, including production, distribution, and regulatory support.

With Boeing taking a more cautious approach to hydrogen, Airbus’s setback leaves SAFs as the industry’s best short-term option. But without significant investment and policy support, the aviation sector’s path to net zero is looking more like a long-haul flight than a quick hop.

The Strawman’s Takeaway

Hydrogen-powered planes sounded like the future, but that future just got delayed. For now, the aviation industry will have to double down on SAFs, work on scaling renewable hydrogen, and hope that technology catches up before carbon emissions send the sector into a tailspin.