Airbus and Collins Aerospace Drive Hybrid-Electric Airliner Development under EU Clean Aviation Program

Airbus and Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, are advancing hybrid‑electric power systems for future short‑ and medium‑range commercial airliners. The partnership builds on the European Union‑funded Clean Aviation projects SWITCH and LEIA.

In the SWITCH project, Collins completed integrated laboratory testing at its Grid facility in Rockford, Illinois, using megawatt‑class motor generators and controllers that operated with simulated aircraft and Pratt & Whitney geared‑turbofan engines. The tested subsystems are now moving to Airbus’s STEP laboratory in Ottobrunn, Germany for aircraft‑level integration, including battery interfacing and energy‑management testing, with a ground demonstration aimed for 2027.

LEIA (Large‑Scale Integration Demonstrator of Hybrid Electrical Architecture) will extend this work, with Collins acting as technical lead for energy sources and supplying scalable motor‑generator units, electronic controllers and power‑distribution equipment. Testing will be spread across sites in Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. Airbus leads aircraft‑level integration, while partners such as Pratt & Whitney, GKN Aerospace and MTU Aero Engines contribute engine control, high‑voltage wiring and project coordination. Airbus’s head of aircraft‑of‑tomorrow research, Karim Mokaddem, said the effort marks “a pivotal shift in how we design the future of flight.”