PARIS (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.