21/09/2020 (Agence Europe) – Airbus wants to be the first aircraft manufacturer to put a hydrogen-powered plane into service in 2035, announced the company’s CEO Guillaume Faury, in an interview with the newspaper ‘Le Parisien’, on Sunday 20 September. This timetable coincides with that of the French government, which recently pledged to invest 1.5 billion euros to launch the first “carbon-free aircraft” by 2035. The European manufacturer is working on three models, Faury said. The first is a conventionally configured aircraft that can accommodate up to 200 passengers and is capable of flying more than 3,500 kilometres. The second, a 100-seat propeller aircraft, would be designed for shorter journeys. Finally, the latest concept studied by Airbus is an ‘exceptionally wide’ body that blends into the plane’s wings to open up multiple options for hydrogen storage and a cabin layout of about 200 seats. A flight demonstration could take place in 2025. (DG)