Airbus to Produce Hybrid-Electric Jet by 2035

Europe wants more sustainable aircraft by 2050, and this is a big step in that direction.

On Thursday, Airbus revealed its plans for a hybrid-electric jet aircraft. The target date? 2035.

Seems a tad … optimistic, but the industry is certainly moving in that direction. Not much is known about Airbus’ low-emission craft, but CEO Guillaume Faury did mention that the hybrid plane is in the early stages. And just in time.

In 2018, US airlines, alone, gobbled up 17.87 billion gallons of fuel, and that’s not counting our business and military fleets. Moreover, 16 billion annual passengers (globally) are putting a huge strain on finite resources.

The EU has plans to dramatically cut the fuel demands of aviation, and “Flightpath 2050” sets some ambitious goals, including a 75% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer and a 90% reduction in NOx emissions (plus 65% less noise pollution), all by 2050.

According to the document, “Aviation has an important role to play in reducing noise as well as greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of traffic growth. Aviation must move towards more sustainable energy sources.”

Is “Flightpath 2050” remotely feasible? Maybe, but fuel costs are spiraling out of control, giving the airlines serious motivation to explore sustainable alternatives.

An aviation blog notes that “A jumbo jet (Boeing 747-400) flying from London to New York burns approximately 70,000 kilograms of fuel,” which works out to €32,500 ($35,922) in fuel costs or €73 per person.

So it’s in everyone’s best interests to make our friendly skies a lot greener.