Airbus' announcement that its hydrogen-powered aircraft will be delayed also comes with more bad news for the program. Beyond moving back its expected launch date, Airbus is cutting the budget for its hydrogen initiatives by 25%. Additionally, it officially ended plans to test hydrogen fuel cell engines using a modified Airbus A380 as a test bed.

Airbus SE said that one of its most ambitious projects for future propulsion — using hydrogen to power an aircraft — is progressing slower than planned because of the technological hurdles involved, dealing a setback to the industry’s efforts to clean up air travel.

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Airbus acknowledged on Friday that progress on developing an aeroplane operating on hydrogen was slower than expected, but said it was not reviewing its approach to decarbonising aviation. "Recent developments show that progress on indispensable elements for this transition,

Airbus delays plans to fly a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035, citing slower than expected advances in technology.