The Financial Post reports in its Monday, Jan. 19, edition that hydrogen-powered airplanes, seen by some as a solution to reduce carbon emissions, are unlikely to be a viable technology soon, according to the head of French engine maker Safran. An Agence France-Presse dispatch to the Post reports that Safran CEO Olivier Andries says, "Hydrogen in aviation is more for the 22nd century." Pan-European plane maker Airbus has been working for years on putting a hydrogen plane into service in the 2040s, but acknowledged last year that progress had been slower than expected. Burning hydrogen only produces water, which is why the aviation and automobile industries have looked at it as a possibility to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from travel. Safran, a major engine supplier to both Airbus and Boeing, already has engines that can be fuelled with hydrogen, says Mr. Andries. But liquid hydrogen, even at -253 C, takes up four times as much space as kerosene, which is what planes use at present. That makes it impossible to use with current plane designs, while requiring billions of euros of investment in hydrogen storage infrastructure at airports worldwide.