Airbus and MTU Aero Engines to Form Joint Venture for All-Electric Hydrogen Fuel Cell Engines

Airbus and MTU Aero Engines to Form Joint Venture for All-Electric Hydrogen Fuel Cell Engines

Airbus and MTU Aero Engines have announced plans to deepen their collaboration by establishing a joint venture dedicated to the development and commercialization of all-electric hydrogen fuel cell engines, in a move aimed at accelerating the aviation industry's energy transition.

This milestone follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two companies at the Paris Air Show in June 2025.

Accelerating Development and Certification

By creating a dedicated and highly agile organizational structure, the two partners aim to speed up the technical development, design, testing, and airworthiness certification of hydrogen fuel cell aviation propulsion systems. The new entity will be backed by the full resources of both Airbus and MTU, including their respective technical capabilities and engineering and manufacturing teams.

The non-binding agreement is still subject to standard regulatory reviews and social consultation processes at both European and national levels. The joint venture is expected to formally begin operations in 2027.

Leadership Statements

Bruno Fichefeux, Head of Airbus Future Programs, said: "Our planned joint venture is the next logical step in our shared journey to advance hydrogen propulsion concepts. By pooling our technologies and expertise into a dedicated entity, we are creating a European powerhouse capable of translating advanced research into industrializable, certifiable electric propulsion systems. This new company will help secure strategic autonomy in next-generation aviation technology while strengthening our ability to achieve our long-term ZEROe objectives."

MTU Aero Engines has also reached several significant milestones in recent months: the design of its Flying Fuel Cell has been finalized, manufacturing of the demonstrator's fuel cell stack has commenced, the eMoSys electric motor has been successfully tested for the first time, and the first test facility in Munich is now operational.

Dr. Stefan Weber, Senior Vice President Technology and Engineering at MTU Aero Engines, added: "Our ambition is to pave the way for a newly developed, safe, reliable, and economically viable propulsion system that contributes to climate-neutral aviation. This project is a key milestone on our path to the first hydrogen-powered engine and a true demonstration of European technological leadership. To that end, we aim to establish a company that covers the full lifecycle of fuel cell powertrains — from development and testing to airworthiness certification and commercialization."

The Promise of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology

Hydrogen fuel cell technology generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water vapor as the only by-product. This means in-flight carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions can be eliminated entirely, significantly reducing aviation's climate impact.

Hydrogen holds substantial potential for dramatically reducing aviation's long-term climate footprint — a transformative shift for air transport comparable to the revolution electric vehicles have brought to the automotive industry.

In March 2025, Airbus announced it would concentrate its research efforts on all-electric hydrogen fuel cell propulsion. Results from fuel cell prototype and powertrain testing, along with related research into cryogenic technologies, have supported the technical viability of this approach.

Combining Strengths for Technological Leadership

The joint venture is born out of both companies' shared ambition to become technology leaders in this field and to deliver the first hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for commercial aircraft.

The venture will combine Airbus's deep expertise in commercial aircraft programs and extensive knowledge of fuel cell propulsion and liquid hydrogen technologies with MTU's years of fuel cell technology development experience and its established reputation in engine design, integration, validation, airworthiness certification, and maintenance.

Beyond engine technology, Airbus and MTU will continue to advance the development of a hydrogen aviation economic ecosystem and the associated regulatory framework — both of which are equally critical enablers for the large-scale adoption of hydrogen-powered flight.

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