The French Minister of Transport recently announced that the ministry would support a plan to launch a green hydrogen aircraft from 2035. A first prototype should be presented between 2026 and 2028.
According to reports in the French media, the government plans to spend 1.5 billion euros in public funding in the next three years on research and development with the aim of “achieving a carbon-neutral aircraft in 2035”, announced the French Minister of Economy Bruno Le MaireAs for the larger package, Reuters, June 9:
The idea is to use hydrogen instead of kerosene and for the Minister of Ecological Transition using hydrogen must be a priority....MORE
France bets on green plane in package to 'save' aerospace sector
France launched what it billed a 15-billion-euro ($17 billion) support plan for its aerospace industry on Tuesday, accelerating research on a green jetliner and warning 100,000 French jobs could be lost due to the coronavirus crisis.....MUCH MORE
The plans - which include 7 billion euros of aid already awarded to Air France (AIRF.PA) and bring forward some defence spending - involve a joint effort by government and industry to keep French jobs and prepare the next generation of civil jets.
The plans include a 1-billion-euro investment fund with an initial capital of 500 million euros, partly financed by planemakers Airbus (AIR.PA) and Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA), engine maker Safran (SAF.PA) and systems firm Thales (TCFP.PA).
“We must save our aerospace industry,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said, adding Europe - championed by Airbus - would not sacrifice its place on the world market to U.S giant Boeing (BA.N) or China’s upcoming planemaking competitor COMAC.
The move comes after Boeing called for tens of billions in loan guarantees to help U.S. suppliers. Both Airbus and Boeing buy parts in each other’s home markets and fragile suppliers are seen as an Achilles heel as manufacturers weather the crisis....
