On July 22, 2026, Collins Aerospace announced the successful completion of integrated lab testing for a 1-megawatt hybrid-electric powertrain subsystem, marking a critical milestone in the European Union’s Clean Aviation SWITCH project. The technology will now transfer to Airbus for aircraft-level integration, advancing the development of microhybridization for next-generation single-aisle commercial aircraft.

In a press release issued during the Farnborough International Air Show, the RTX business unit confirmed that the testing took place at The Grid, its electric power systems laboratory in Rockford, Illinois. The subsystems operated successfully alongside simulated aircraft and engine systems. The initiative aims to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by at least 30 percent compared to 2020 state-of-the-art aircraft, aligning with the broader goals of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking.

Powertrain specifications and the SWITCH project

The testing at The Grid involved an 800-volt powertrain and two 1-megawatt class motor generators integrated into a simulated Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine. According to reporting by Aviation Week, the total power of the turbine engine being hybridized is approximately 20 megawatts, while The Grid laboratory itself possesses an 8-megawatt total power capacity.

The four-year SWITCH project, launched in January 2023 with a budget of £67.6 million ($77.1 million), represents a collaborative effort involving Collins Aerospace, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney, GKN Aerospace, and MTU Aero Engines. Kristin Smith, Vice President of Electric Power Systems at Collins Aerospace, noted the scale of the achievement.

“This is the largest integrated systems test conducted at The Grid since its opening in 2023,” Smith stated in the company release. “By combining our technology expertise with deep industry collaboration, we are demonstrating how hybrid-electric systems can significantly reduce fuel consumption for next-generation aircraft.”

Transitioning to the LEIA project and Airbus integration

With the SWITCH testing phase complete, focus now shifts to the Airbus-led Large scalE Integration demonstrator of hybrid electrical Architecture (LEIA) project. Preliminary work for LEIA began in December 2025. Collins Aerospace will act as the technical lead for energy sources, supplying scalable electric motor generators, electronic controllers, and power distribution equipment.

Future testing for the LEIA project will span multiple European sites, including facilities in Toulouse, France; Frankfurt, Germany; Cork, Ireland; Rome, Italy; and Solihull, United Kingdom. Aviation Week reports that ground demonstration tests are planned for 2027 at Airbus facilities in Toulouse, utilizing a modified Airbus A400M iron bird test rig.

The technology centers on microhybridization, which allows for power extraction, insertion, and transfer between the high- and low-pressure shafts of the engine. This capability can be utilized for taxiing, takeoff power boosts, and transient operating conditions. Aviation Week identifies this system as a leading candidate for Airbus’s next-generation single-aisle aircraft concept, known as the eAction.

“One of the advantages of hybrid-electric propulsion is not to have this power takeoff wasted, but to use it,” Pierre Durel, Project Officer at Clean Aviation, told Aviation Week.

AirPro News analysis

We view the successful integration testing at The Grid as a strong indicator that microhybridization is maturing from a conceptual framework into a viable hardware pathway for the mid-2030s single-aisle replacement cycle. The €4.1 billion Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking is heavily incentivizing European and US aerospace manufacturers to collaborate on these transitional technologies. By targeting a 2030 timeline to reach Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, the consortium is aligning its development schedule precisely with the anticipated launch windows for the successors to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families. The ability to extract and insert power dynamically across engine shafts offers a pragmatic step toward emission reductions without requiring the immediate leap to fully electric-aviation or hydrogen propulsion systems.

Sources: RTX

GE Aerospace, in collaboration with NASA, BETA Technologies, and Boeing, has successfully completed the world’s first flight of a hybrid-electric aircraft above 30,000 feet.

The milestone, announced in a July 20 press release during the Farnborough International Airshow, utilized a modified Saab 340B testbed to demonstrate the viability of megawatt-class hybrid propulsion at altitudes typical for commercial regional aviation.

Engineering the hybrid-electric testbed

The testbed aircraft, a Saab 340B that standardly seats 30 to 36 passengers, features a unique asymmetrical propulsion setup. The left wing retains a standard GE CT7 turboprop engine. The right wing houses a fully integrated megawatt-class, multi-kilovolt hybrid-electric propulsion system.

Multiple aerospace manufacturers collaborated to integrate the experimental hardware onto the regional airframe. Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences supplied the modified, inverted nacelle required to house the hybrid system, while BAE Systems provided the battery architecture.

BETA Technologies Founder and CEO Kyle Clark highlighted the dual benefits of the configuration in a statement provided by GE Aerospace.

This hybrid electric system improved the high-altitude performance and climb capability while creating a flying laboratory to inform all future hybrid designs.

Flight testing and transatlantic journey

The aircraft completed its initial flight in the hybrid-electric configuration on May 3, 2026. The high-altitude milestone occurred shortly after on May 20, 2026, when the aircraft exceeded 30,000 feet. During the testing phase, the longest single flight in hybrid-electric operation lasted more than two hours.

Following domestic testing in the United States, BETA Technologies pilots ferried the aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean for its public debut at Farnborough. The transatlantic journey included stops in Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland. During each leg, the hybrid system was engaged to provide electric assist during climbs and to recharge the batteries using a generate mode.

GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. described the achievement as a historic moment for the aviation industry, noting the partnership’s goal to accelerate hybrid-electric technology to meet customer demands for efficiency, durability, and range.

NASA partnership and future implications

The development of the megawatt-class powertrain stems from a 2021 contract awarded to GE Aerospace under the NASA Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project. The contract, valued at $179 million, funded the design, build, and flight testing of the hybrid system.

AirPro News analysis

We view the 30,000-foot milestone as a critical validation point for hybrid-electric architectures in regional commercial aviation. While fully electric propulsion remains constrained by battery energy density limitations for passenger aircraft, hybrid systems offer a pragmatic transitional step. By utilizing electric assist during high-thrust phases like takeoff and climb, operators can significantly reduce fuel burn and emissions without sacrificing the range and payload capabilities required for profitable regional routes. The successful transatlantic ferry flight demonstrates the operational robustness of the system outside a highly controlled local test environment.

Sources: GE Aerospace

Airbus SE and CFM International unveiled the livery for the Airbus A380 flight lab dedicated to testing the CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) Open Fan engine architecture at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 21, 2026.

The presentation coincides with the completion of the first conceptual flight test design review. The joint program between Airbus and CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, aims to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent compared to current commercial engines.

Transitioning to flight test preparation

The designated testbed aircraft, an Airbus A380 identified as Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 114, departed a six-year desert storage in France on July 16, 2026. The aircraft relocated to Shannon, Ireland, to undergo painting and structural modifications. Engineers will eventually mount the open fan engine in the number 2 position on the inboard left wing for the Test-Flights campaign.

CFM International recently completed the preliminary design review for the compact core system, open fan, and outlet guide vanes. Arjan Hegeman, Vice President of Future of Flight Engineering at GE Aerospace, stated that this milestone allows the Manufacturing of parts for the grounded demonstrator to begin.

Prioritizing engine durability

While the open fan design removes the traditional engine casing to accommodate a larger fan and reduce drag, program leaders are placing equal emphasis on component longevity. GE Aerospace has completed over 350 tests and 3,000 endurance cycles on core components, which includes early dust ingestion testing.

“If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last years, it’s that durability matters as much as, if not more than, fuel efficiency,” Hegeman said.

Hegeman noted that the engineering teams are aiming to reach technology readiness level six by the turn of the decade.

AirPro News analysis

The explicit focus on durability during the early testing phases of the CFM RISE program reflects a broader industry shift. Current-generation narrowbody engines have faced well-documented time-on-wing and maintenance challenges, prompting Manufacturers to prioritize robust operating characteristics alongside fuel efficiency gains. By subjecting core components to 3,000 endurance cycles and dust ingestion tests years before the first flight, CFM International is working to ensure the open fan architecture can withstand harsh operational environments from entry into service. We expect this dual mandate of efficiency and reliability to define the Certification pathway for next-generation Propulsion systems.

Sources: GE Aerospace Press Release