EU awards €945m to 12 projects aimed at decarbonising commercial air travel

The European Union’s Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking has awarded €945m in funding to 12 projects aimed at decarbonising commercial air travel. Award recipients for the third funding round, which followed a call for proposals in February, will support many major aerospace manufacturers in the development of novel aircraft and propulsion concepts.

image: Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking

The selected projects collectively aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for commercial aviation by no less than 30% over the next 10 years. Award teams will begin work in early 2026 and are expected to flight-test their developments in 2028 and 2029.

Of the €945m, the Clean Aviation initiative awarded €199m to three projects dealing with ultra-efficient short-medium range aircraft technologies, €144m for three ultra-efficient regional aircraft technologies, €20m for four projects categorized as “fast track areas,” and €15m for transversal projects dedicated to aircraft concept integration (ACI) and impact assessment.

Sabine Klauke, co-chair of the Governing Board, and Airbus’ head of digital design manufacturing and services said, “Achieving our climate goals and advancing sustainable aviation can only be done if public and private actors work hand in hand.

“By supporting the brightest minds, fostering technical excellence and encouraging novel solutions, we can accelerate the breakthroughs our industry needs. The projects selected under Clean Aviation Call 3 represent an important milestone on this journey.”

The winning projects are:

1. TAKE OFF (led by Safran Aircraft Engines) – Developing an ultra-efficient “open fan” propulsion system to drastically cut fuel burn and CO₂ emissions for short- and medium-range aircraft.

2. LEIA (led by Airbus Operations) – Integrating hybrid-electric propulsion architectures into aircraft demonstrators to validate scalable electrification concepts.

3. UNIFIED (led by Rolls Royce) – Advancing a next-generation engine demonstrator that combines novel propulsion technologies for greener short- and medium-range jets.

4. PHARES (led by Pratt & Whitney Canada) – Designing a hybrid-electric propulsion system for regional aircraft, blending turboprop engines with electric motors for ~20% fuel savings.

5. DEMETRA (led by Avions de Transport Régional (ATR) – Building and flying a hybrid-electric regional demonstrator within ATR’s Evo programme to showcase near-term decarbonisation potential.

6. OSYRYS (led by Safran Electrical & Power) – Developing next-generation onboard electrical and thermal systems that enable safe and efficient hybrid-electric propulsion.

7. CRYOSTAR (led by Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli) – Establishing certification methods for integrated liquid hydrogen tanks, addressing crash safety and operational readiness.

8. MODABAT (led by Fraunhofer Gesellschaft) – Creating a modular, open battery architecture tailored to aviation needs, enabling scalability across aircraft types.

9. POWER4AIR (led by Skylife Engineering SL) – Improving high-voltage power electronics for aviation with reliable fault detection and electromagnetic compatibility solutions.

10. LIME (led by Ascendance Flight Technologies) – Developing modular lithium-based energy systems for integration into hybrid-electric aircraft architectures.

11. HERACLES (led by Avions de Transport Régional) – Performing design and environmental assessments of hybrid-electric regional aircraft concepts to guide technology trade-offs.

12. ACI&I (led by Airbus Operations) – Evaluating how novel propulsion and airframe technologies can be integrated into next-generation aircraft and their overall climate impact.