Old Airbus A320 given new lease of life as Hydrogen Aviation Lab for Lufthansa Technik

Lufthansa Technik, a leading global provider of aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification services, has created a Hydrogen Aviation Lab out of an old, decommissioned Airbus A320 aircraft. The Hydrogen Aviation Lab will be used to trial maintenance and ground processes for hydrogen-powered aircraft of the future.

Hydrogen is anticipated to play a major role in the decarbonizing of the aviation industry as it strives to become carbon neutral. As a result, Lufthansa Technik, Hamburg Airport, DLR and ZAL have combined forces to design and test maintenance and ground-based processes for hydrogen technology. The project is funded by Hamburg’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation as well as the city’s investment and development bank (IFB Hamburg).

Over the coming months, the Hydrogen Aviation Lab will be fitted out with a complete suite of test systems as well as an internal tank for liquid hydrogen and an onboard fuel cell, paired with supporting ground-based hydrogen infrastructure. With the Hydrogen Aviation Lab, the project partners intend to prepare for handling and maintenance of hydrogen-powered aircraft, whose entry into service is estimated for the middle of the next decade.

Parallel to research carried out using the physical hardware of the Hydrogen Aviation Lab, the project also involves the creation of a so-called digital twin of the Airbus A320. Therein, simulations will enable researchers to develop and test predictive maintenance methods for the systems and components of future aircraft generations.