PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Airbus said on Friday

it is delaying plans to develop a hydrogen-powered commercial

aircraft by the middle of next decade, citing slower than

expected developments in technology.

The delay marks a setback to the European aerospace group's

ambitions to pioneer the adoption of hydrogen fuel as aviation

strives to curtail emissions, a goal strongly championed by CEO

Guillaume Faury since it was first introduced five years ago.

Airbus did not give a new timeline for the project, but the

Force Ouvriere union said that staff had been told earlier this

week that the technology was running five to 10 years behind the

pace needed to support the original 2035 target.

The delay was first reported by French news agency AFP.