Emirates has become the world’s first airline to operate an A380 demonstration flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This marks a significant move towards lessening the carbon footprint of the aviation industry.
The fuel for the flight was provided by Neste, the company that stated, “Emirates’ flight shows the potential of SAF as a more sustainable replacement for fossil-based jet fuel, meeting its technical and chemical requirements.” Currently, SAF can be used in blends of up to 50% with conventional fossil jet fuel.
The demonstration flight took off on November 22 from Dubai International Airport, using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel, a 100% drop-in SAF with renewable aromatic content. This means no modifications were necessary for the aircraft or its engines.
The flight highlights SAF’s performance and compatibility as a safe and reliable fuel. It contributes to the industry’s ongoing research on the positive effects of using 100% SAF on aircraft emissions and performance.
Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates Airline said: “Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate an A380 with 100% drop-in SAF powering one of four Engine Alliance GP7200 engines. This is another proud moment for Emirates and our partners, as we put words into action with the research into and the trialling of higher concentrations of SAF to eventually lead to industry adoption of 100% SAF flying. This marks another significant step in validating the use of SAF in one of the engines of the A380, a wide-body aircraft with four engines. The growing global demand for lower-emission jet fuel alternatives is there, and the work of producers and suppliers to commercialise SAF and make it available will be critical in the coming years to help Emirates and the wider industry advance our path to lower carbon emissions.”
“Sustainable Aviation Fuel plays a crucial role in reducing the emissions of air travel, but to fully leverage its decarbonisation potential we need to enable 100% SAF use. Test flights like this Emirates A380-flight using Neste’s SAF are an important step towards 100% SAF certification and we applaud Emirates for its efforts to help pave the way forward. Neste is working closely together with partners to accelerate the availability and use of SAF and we look forward to growing the supply of SAF also to Dubai,” said Jonathan Wood, Vice President Commercial Management and Business Development from the Renewable Aviation business at Neste.
