Airbus is integrating the elements of a hybrid-electric non-propulsive energy architecture ready for ground testing, writes Nick Flaherty.

The Large Scale Integration Demonstrator of Hybrid Electrical Architecture (LEIA) project is developing high-voltage power systems for the next generation of commercial aircraft to bridge the gap between component-level innovation and aircraft-level maturity.

“Our progress in developing hybrid-electric technologies and our move into the LEIA demonstrator marks a pivotal shift in how we design the future of flight,” said Karim Mokaddem, head of aircraft of tomorrow research and technology at Airbus. “By moving to integrated, intelligent hybrid-electric architectures, we are actively laying the physical and digital foundation for the next generation of aircraft. This evolution demonstrates that the future of aviation is about more than just new power sources; it is also about the new ecosystems that will manage them.”

LEIA builds on the successful completion of the SWITCH project, which focused on hybrid-electric powertrain subsystems and reached a key milestone in July when Collins Aerospace completed integrated laboratory testing with Pratt & Whitney, GKN Aerospace and MTU Aero Engines.

These subsystems are moving to the Airbus Sustainable Technology and Engineering Projects (STEP) laboratory in Ottobrun (Germany) for critical aircraft-level integration testing. The STEP testing includes design, battery interfacing and energy-management systems with scalable motor/generators, next-generation electronic controllers, power distribution equipment, alongside various other aircraft systems. These systems will be validated through a comprehensive testing programme, culminating in a pivotal ground demonstration by 2027.

For LEIA, Airbus is working with AVL, Collins Aerospace, the European Aerospace Science Network (EASN), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Liebherr Aerospace, Lynxeo, Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), Safran, SAFT, the University of Warwick and Wroclaw University of Science and Technology.

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