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Airbus and MTU Aero Engines plan to establish a joint venture to develop and commercialise a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell engine for commercial aviation. The partnership aims to accelerate the development, testing and certification of hydrogen propulsion technology as both companies seek to support the long-term transition to lower-emission air transport.
Airbus and MTU Aero Engines intend to deepen their collaboration by creating a joint venture focused on developing a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell engine for the aviation sector.
The announcement follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two companies at the Paris Air Show in June 2025.
The proposed joint venture will combine expertise from both organisations to accelerate the design, development, testing and certification of a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for commercial aircraft. Subject to regulatory approvals and completion of social processes, the new company is expected to begin operations in 2027.
Accelerating Low-Emission Aircraft Technology
The new organisation will be supported by engineering and manufacturing teams from both companies and is intended to provide a dedicated structure for advancing hydrogen propulsion technologies.
Airbus and MTU said the joint venture will focus on developing a fully electric propulsion system powered by hydrogen fuel cells, with the goal of bringing the technology to commercial aviation.
“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.”
Bruno Fichefeux, Head of Future Programmes at Airbus.
Supporting Climate-Neutral Aviation
The collaboration represents an important milestone in the development of hydrogen-powered aircraft propulsion.
“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.”
Dr. Stefan Weber, Senior Vice President Engineering and Technology at MTU Aero Engines.
Combining Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Expertise
The proposed joint venture will combine Airbus’ commercial aircraft programme experience, fuel cell propulsion research and liquid hydrogen expertise with MTU’s capabilities in fuel cell technology development, engine design, integration, validation, certification and maintenance.
The two companies also plan to continue working together to support the development of a hydrogen aviation economy and the regulatory framework needed to enable the wider adoption of hydrogen-powered flight.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing water vapour as its only byproduct during operation. According to Airbus and MTU, the technology would eliminate in-flight carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, helping to reduce aviation’s climate impact.
Airbus said it has focused its ZEROe programme on fully electric fuel cell propulsion since March 2025, following testing of fuel cell prototypes, powertrains and complementary technologies including cryogenics.
MTU also reported progress across its hydrogen technology programme, including finalising the design of its Flying Fuel Cell, beginning fuel cell stack manufacturing for its demonstrator, successfully testing its eMoSys electric motor and commissioning its first fuel cell test facility in Munich.
This article was produced by the editorial team at EME Outlook and published as part of the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines.
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