Decarbonization Imperative Driving Future Aviation Technology

Germany has been in the running to be the advanced air mobility (AAM) hub of Europe, but these ambitions have been dented by the recent collapse of eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium and its near neighbor Volocopter struggling to stay afloat.

Now the epicenter of this world seems to be firmly in Silicon Valley, where companies like Joby and Archer are sitting on $1 billion-plus in funding while too many European companies find themselves passing around the begging bowl for far smaller amounts.

Despite the somewhat ruthless wave of funding famine and consolidation among the wholly unsustainable number of start-ups in the race to market, there is plenty of momentum and wider potential in key innovations such as electric propulsion and flight automation.

Potentially, these could reshape the wider future of aviation, well beyond the scope of eVTOL air taxi services, and with much of the focus being on meeting the increasingly urgent imperative for aviation to achieve its legally binding net-zero carbon commitments.

However, there is no denying the somewhat harsh realism that has swept through the AAM sector in the early weeks of 2025. Lilium’s collapse in February was a shock to the optimists, and now Volocopter’s plans for its two-seat VoloCity eVTOL are in the hands of China’s Wanfeng Aviation group, which in early March agreed to buy its assets for a meager €10 million (roughly $11 million). On March 14, it was confirmed that Volocopter is to be merged with Wanfeng's Europe-based general aviation subsidiary Diamond Aircraft.

Another blow, and perhaps a more profound one, came in early February when Airbus said it needs another five to 10 years to develop a hydrogen-powered airliner and so will not hit the 2035 target for its ZeroE program. In the same month, the European aerospace giant announced that it is pausing work on its CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL project because it believes current battery technology is not sufficient to support a commercial use case for the aircraft.

That said, the company will complete the current round of test flights it has been conducting in the German facilities of its Airbus Helicopters division. Meanwhile, its PioneerLab project is gathering pace this year as engineers prepare for the first flight of a hybrid-electric adaptation of the H145 helicopter.

Electric Trainers and Hybrid Airliners

Nonetheless, innovation is much in evidence at the Aero Friedrichshafen show from April 9 to 12 in southern Germany. French company Aura Aero is a good case in point with its plans for both an electric training aircraft called the Integral E and a 19-passenger hybrid-electric regional airliner. Making a much longer trip to the show, from Australia, is Dovetail Electric Aviation, which is working with its Spanish sister company Dante Aeronautical on plans to convert utility turboprops such as the Cessna Caravan and Beechcraft King Airs to electric propulsion.

In March, Poland’s Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation signed a partnership agreement with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The organizations will collaborate in areas such as composite materials, “future flight” technologies, and aeronautical design. However, they have not yet specified which aircraft platforms this work might support, with Embraer still firming up the specifics of its Energia decarbonization project.

Textron Aviation’s Slovenia-based subsidiary Pipistrel has long been a sustainable aviation leader, having achieved the first-ever EASA type certification for an electric aircraft with its Velis Electro trainer now in use with flight schools on both sides of the Atlantic. The company is active in several hydrogen propulsion programs with partners including Germany’s H2Fly and Honeywell. Additionally, it is contributing to its U.S. parent company’s plans to bring the Nexus eVTOL aircraft into commercial service later this decade.

Green Private Jets

Among the business aviation contingent at this year’s Aero Friedrichshafen show are other airframers focused on decarbonization, such as Dassault, Gulfstream, and Bombardier, which are all seeking to boost the use of sustainable aviation fuel. In the longer term, Bombardier is seeking to define a more transformative future for business jets through its EcoJet, which is exploring blended-wing-body concepts.

The RTX group is also taking a lead in multiple decarbonization initiatives in the air transport sector. This work is being conducted on both sides of the Atlantic and involves engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney as well as the Collins Aerospace group, focused mainly on advancing hybrid-electric propulsion applications and extending the use of electrical power in non-propulsive aircraft technology.

There is a strong emphasis on green aviation in the Aero Friedrichshafen conference schedule. This includes the Hydrogen and Battery Summit on April 8 and 9 and a conference on future airport infrastructure on April 10.

—This article is courtesy of AIN Media Group's FutureFlight coverage. To read more, please visit https://www.ainonline.com/futureflight.