Project on fuel cell system for passenger aircraft launched

Aviation Project on Fuel Cell System for Passenger Aircraft Launched

2026-03-22 From | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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A fuel cell propulsion system for short-haul passenger aircraft: this is what RWTH Aachen and Airbus, among others, are working on. Components from the automotive industry are conceivable.

Airbus is working on the propulsion of short-haul aircraft using hydrogen and fuel cells as part of the “GENtwoPRO” project.(Source: Airbus SAS 2025) — Airbus is working on the propulsion of short-haul aircraft using hydrogen and fuel cells as part of the “GENtwoPRO” project.
(Source: Airbus SAS 2025)

Since January 2026, RWTH Aachen (Germany) and Airbus have been developing a scalable, integrated, certifiable fuel cell system for aviation. The LT-PEM fuel cell system is intended to power hydrogen-operated short-haul aircraft capable of transporting around 100 people. Specifically, according to the university, a “lightweight, certifiable power generator” is to be created, scheduled to enter operation in 2035. “LT-PEM” stands for “Low Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell”, a low-temperature variant of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. It operates at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius.

Higher power density and minimal weight

Based on a current fuel cell, the companies are further developing components such as fuel cell stacks, energy system components and integration elements—and combining them into a scalable system architecture. The goal is to increase volumetric and gravimetric power density: for the stack to > 4.2 kW/kg and for the overall system to > 2.1 kW/kg—with minimal weight and installation space. In addition, scientifically grounded methods for design, integration, control and validation under aviation-specific boundary conditions are to be developed.

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Components from the automotive industry?

During the integration and validation phase, the project partners will combine the subsystems into a functional overall system – and test it under realistic conditions. One topic will be whether components from other sectors are suitable for aviation, for example from the automotive industry.

About the “GENtwoPRO” project

The chair “Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components” (PEM) at RWTH Aachen is working in the joint project “GENtwoPRO” together with industry and research partners. These include Airbus Operations, Aerostack, TLK-Thermo, the German Aerospace Center and the Technical University of Braunschweig. The German federal government is funding the project from the Climate and Transformation Fund. The project runs until the end of December 2028.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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