The Governing Board of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking has approved €290 million in EU funding for 19 new projects, representing a total research effort of €664 million.
The projects mark an important step for the European programme as technologies developed through previous research activities move out of the laboratory and into full-scale ground test facilities, preparing the most promising solutions for subsequent flight demonstrations.
Activities will cover several strategic areas for future aviation, ranging from hybrid-electric and hydrogen propulsion architectures and systems to airframe optimisation, as well as noise reduction and anti-icing technologies.
The technologies will be tested under representative real-world conditions to demonstrate their reliability before potential application to future aircraft. The eight projects funded under the Fast Track Areas will begin at the end of 2026, with the remaining projects starting in early 2027. Full-scale ground demonstrations and flight tests are planned for 2029-2030.
The projects aim to contribute to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30% for Short-Medium Range and Regional aircraft compared with 2020 state-of-the-art technologies, laying the foundations for decarbonised aircraft entering service from 2035.
Clean Aviation’s fourth call also shows broader participation across the European aviation ecosystem. SMEs, research and technology organisations and universities account for 42% of the allocated funding, with their participation almost doubling compared with previous calls. Of the 185 entities involved, 74 are new participants, representing 40% of the total.
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23 September 2026
