Airbus – Impact Lab

Airbus

Airbus Pushes Forward with Hydrogen-Powered Aviation in the Race for Decarbonization

April 9, 2025

The aviation industry is grappling with one of the most difficult challenges in global decarbonization. Unlike other sectors where electrification offers a practical solution, airlines require high-energy density fuels to sustain long-haul flights and maintain operational efficiency. Aviation accounts for around 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key sector in the fight against climate change. In response, Airbus is doubling down on its commitment to hydrogen-powered aviation, advancing its ZEROe project with an updated timeline and new technological breakthroughs.

Originally targeting 2035 for a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft, Airbus now expects to debut a viable hydrogen aircraft by the late 2030s. This shift reflects the growing urgency to tackle aviation’s carbon footprint and the technical complexities of transitioning to clean, hydrogen-based propulsion.

Airbus, Latest News

Delta Unveils Economy Wheelchair-Accessible Seats and Lavatories

June 7, 2024

One year after launching a first-class seat option that allows passengers to remain in their wheelchairs during flights, Delta Air Lines is introducing an economy version of the seat along with an accessible lavatory designed to fit an onboard wheelchair and up to two attendants.

The announcement comes ahead of the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany. Delta Flight Products, in collaboration with AirforAll—a consortium including PriestmanGoode, Flying Disabled, SWS Certification, and Sunrise Medical—has developed two seat configurations. These seats can function traditionally or fold up to make space for wheelchairs.

Airbus, Aviation

Clear Skies Ahead: The Solar-Powered Airship Solution to Air Travel’s Carbon Footprint

May 3, 2023

Researchers are investigating technical alternatives to conventional aircraft, such as solar-powered airships equipped with super-efficient solar cells and lightweight batteries. Professor Christoph Pflaum and Professor Agnes Jocher, along with student Tim Riffelmacher from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), have published a paper in the International Journal of Sustainable Energy outlining the route a solar airship would take to fly from London to New York in the most time-efficient and eco-friendly manner.

Airbus, Alternative Transportation, Aviation, Science & Technology News, Transportation

Airbus’ new eVTOL that aims to usher in an era of flying taxis just took its first public flight – take a look at CityAirbus

August 6, 2020

Airbus’ CityAirbus eVTOL aircraft. Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/picture alliance/Getty

CityAirbus is the new eVTOL being developed by Airbus’ helicopter division that aims to set the stage for a new era of intra-city travel with flying taxis.

The futuristic-looking demonstrator can carry four passengers with a range of 60 miles, traveling at 75 miles per hour.

Airbus demonstrated the eVTOL in public for the first time on July 20 during a visit by a German politician to the facility in Bavaria.

Continue reading… “Airbus’ new eVTOL that aims to usher in an era of flying taxis just took its first public flight – take a look at CityAirbus”

Airbus, Driverless vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Science & Technology News, Transportation

Airbus’ electric flying taxis are set to take to the skies next year

October 8, 2017

Airbus has successfully completed testing on its CityAirbus’ propulsion system, putting the VTOL on track for a 2018 test flight. When its fully operational, it will be able to carry up to four people and maneuver around the city at 120km/h.

Continue reading… “Airbus’ electric flying taxis are set to take to the skies next year”

Airbus, Automobiles, Aviation, Breakthrough Thinking, cutting edge, drones

Introducing Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk Flyer

May 31, 2017

The Kitty Hawk Flyer is a sort of a flying car except it’s not a car at all – it’s much more like a flying ATV, which is probably more legitimately all-terrain than most. Linguistics aside, it’s a very cool piece of tech that’s backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, and it’s already in the ‘working prototype’ phase of development.

Continue reading… “Introducing Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk Flyer”

AI, Airbus, Aviation, Batteries, Battery, Driverless cars, Driverless vehicles, Drone, drones, Electric Automobile, Electric Vehicles, Elon Musk

Introducing the Tesla self-flying electric car

April 29, 2017

Being a kid, flying cars were the norm, not the exception and you always assumed that your parents will definitely get such a thing the next time they’re shopping for a family car. Although different companies told us, that it’s just around the corner, it never materialized and Back To The Future never happened.

Continue reading… “Introducing the Tesla self-flying electric car”

Airbus, Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Aviation, Electric Automobile, Electric Vehicles, Future, Ideas

Airbus’ Pop.Up concept may be the best “flying car” proposal to date

March 20, 2017

One of the biggest obstacles keeping flying cars grounded isn’t necessarily figuring out how to make a vehicle capable of flight (hello, helicopters) but rather, designing something that can both fly and drive on the streets.

The flexibility of being able to do both is incredibly appealing but physical limitations on both sides of the spectrum impact the ability to efficiently accomplish the other task.

That’s where Airbus’ latest concept changes things up.

Continue reading… “Airbus’ Pop.Up concept may be the best “flying car” proposal to date”

Airbus, Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Aviation, Breakthrough Thinking, Crazy Stuff, Current Events, Future

Airbus is planning to make autonomous, flying cars by 2017

February 14, 2017

We live in a time where Level 5 autonomous cars are close to becoming a reality, and more than one company is working towards bringing humans to Mars. Consider all this, it’s almost surprising that flying cars haven’t taken to the skies yet. But it turns out we may not have to wait too long: Airbus is planning to test a prototype, not only for a flying car but an autonomous flying car.

Continue reading… “Airbus is planning to make autonomous, flying cars by 2017”

Airbus, Aviation, Business, Crazy Stuff, cutting edge, Drone, drones, Engineering, Future, Ideas, Inventions, New Inventions, new technology, Science & Technology News

Airbus: flying taxis a reality by 2020

October 27, 2016

Even as self-driving cars become more and more ubiquitous, there’s one problem that Silicon Valley hasn’t solved: the traffic jam. But Airbus Group, a U.S. aeronautics and space company, thinks that it has a solution. The company’s Silicon Valley branch recently announced it’s been working on a secret project titled “Vahana,” an autonomous flying vehicle that can be used for both passenger and cargo transport.

Continue reading… “Airbus: flying taxis a reality by 2020”