Project LEIA: Hybrid-electric onboard network architecture for short- and medium-haul aircraft

Aviation Project LEIA: Hybrid-Electric Onboard Network Architecture for Short- and Medium-Haul Aircraft

2026-08-06 From | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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As part of Project LEIA, short for "Large Scale Integration Demonstrator of Hybrid Electrical Architecture," Airbus is working with partners from the EU, the UK, and the US on a new electric energy architecture for short- and medium-haul aircraft.

In Project LEIA, various companies like Airbus are working on a hybrid-electric onboard network architecture for short- and medium-haul aircraft.(Image: Airbus) — In Project LEIA, various companies like Airbus are working on a hybrid-electric onboard network architecture for short- and medium-haul aircraft.
(Image: Airbus)

LEIA is supported by the EU initiative "Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking." The project aims to contribute to the further development of high-voltage generation and distribution for new electric aircraft systems in short- to medium-haul aircraft while bridging the gap between components and systems. As part of the project, Airbus is responsible for integrating various electrical components, including scalable motors/generators, electronic controls, power distribution systems, and various other aircraft systems. These systems will be validated through a comprehensive testing program, culminating in a critical ground demonstration by 2027. "Our progress in developing hybrid-electric technologies and our involvement in the LEIA demonstrator mark a pivotal shift in how we shape the future of flight," emphasizes Karim Mokaddem, Head of Aircraft of Tomorrow Research and Technology at Airbus. "Through the transition to integrated, intelligent hybrid-electric architectures, we are actively laying the physical and digital foundations for the next generation of aircraft. This development demonstrates that the future of aviation is about more than just new propulsion sources; it is also about the new ecosystems that will control them."

Integration test in Ottobrunn (Germany)

LEIA builds on the SWITCH project, which focused on subsystems for hybrid-electric propulsion systems and reached an important milestone in July when Collins Aerospace completed the integrated lab tests. This success is the result of intensive collaboration among the project partners, including Pratt & Whitney, GKN Aerospace, and MTU Aero Engines.

These subsystems, which operate in conjunction with simulated aircraft and engine systems, are now being transferred to the "Airbus Sustainable Technology and Engineering Projects" (STEP) laboratory in Ottobrunn, Germany. There, Airbus teams will conduct various integration tests addressing, among other things, design, battery connectivity, and energy management systems. (se)

An Airbus A350-1000 ULR on a test flight in Toulouse. (Image:(Airbus))

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