There has been some new significant developments on commercial hybrid-electric and hydrogen aircraft involving major aerospace companies that was revealed at Farnborough Airshow 2026. GE Aerospace announced the completion of the first test flights of hybrid-electric passenger aircraft.
GE Aerospace and NASA Aircraft Hybrid-Electric Testing
GE Aerospace was first awarded the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) contract in 2021 to demonstrate flight readiness of hybrid-electric technologies for aircraft with single-aisle. The following year, there were tests that took place at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) and multi-kilovolt hybrid electric propulsion system in conditions up to 45,000 feet. A hybrid-electric engine system is said to combine electric power train with traditional gas turbine to optimise power management during phases of operations.
GE says that the systems will be highly compatible with different fuel types and advanced aircraft engine architectures like Open Fan, a design that is being developed by NASA and Boeing. Pilots from GE had flight tests that took place in May, and then ferried the aircraft from Plattsburgh, New York to Farnborough, in time for the airshow. GEO Aerospace CEO Larry Culp told media at Farnborough that the flight test campaign was a result of a 15-year project of innovation.
Airbus Expands Initiative for Hybrid-Electric Aviation
Larry Culp stated:
“Not only creating new ideas but testing them both in the lab and in the air, solving along the way some of the industry’s toughest technical challenges. This has really been a partnership between government and industry. It’s been a powerful combination of both entrepreneurial spirit and engineering talent.”
Airbus reported at Farnborough that it is pursuing its hybrid-electric aviation ambition to pioneer a non-propulsive energy architecture through the $40 million budget. The UK government used the airshow to announce funding of 7.3 million pounds ($9.7 million) towards the development of zero emissions flight in the UK.
The funding will be awarded under the first round of the Zero Emission Flight Demonstrator competition to help eight projects to develop. The UK CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) has published findings from the second round of its Hydrogen Challenge, and a new road map to scale hydrogen operations for small aircraft towards 2035.
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