Boeing and Airbus have halted development on their flagship green aircraft programs, casting doubt on the aviation industry’s path to net-zero emissions by 2050. Boeing paused its X-66A project, developed with NASA, while Airbus suspended work on its ZEROe hydrogen-powered plane.
These delays raise concerns over the slow pace of innovation in carbon-cutting aviation technology. Battery-powered aircraft remain limited to small planes, and hydrogen propulsion faces infrastructure and production hurdles. Airbus cited slow progress on renewable hydrogen production as a key reason for the pause.
With new aircraft unlikely before 2035, the industry is shifting focus to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). However, SAFs made up only 0.53% of aviation fuel in 2024, and ramping up production would require massive investment, around $1.45 trillion for 5,000 new refineries, according to ATAG.
Critics argue that demand restraint may be the only realistic solution. Meanwhile, the aviation sector’s share of global emissions is set to rise, possibly reaching 20% by 2050 as other industries decarbonize faster.
Emerging competitors like JetZero, backed by United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and the U.S. Air Force, are developing radically new aircraft designs such as blended wing bodies. These could offer significant emission cuts and readiness for future hydrogen use, posing a potential challenge to the Boeing-Airbus duopoly.