With 4.5 billion passenger trips taken each year and more than 16 million planes taking off annually in the U.S. alone, aircraft are responsible for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, and the problem is growing. But there could be a solution that rivals the power of fossil fuels without the negatives - hydrogen. Aircraft giant, Airbus, is exploring the technology, as well as new startups, ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen. CNBC explores hydrogen planes and whether they could fix aviation’s emissions problem. Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 02:17 — Hydrogen in aviation 04:16 — Companies 09:17 — Challenges Produced, Shot and Edited by: Andrew Evers Senior Producer: Shawn Baldwin Additional Camera and Narration: Erin Black Animations: Josh Kalven Additional Footage: Getty Images, Universal Hydrogen, ZeroAvia, Airbus, Eviation, NASA, Textron Aviation, Connect Airlines, Amelia » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC #CNBC Why Hydrogen-Powered Planes Will Beat Electric Planes