Emirates tests first flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel
Airline to procure 50% of its fuel from renewable sources by 2030, official says
Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates successfully completed a demonstration test flight using 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) yesterday. The Boeing 777-300ER EK2646 is the first wide-body aircraft in the Mena region to be powered by 100 per cent SAF in one of its two engines.
The test flight departed from Dubai International Airport (DXB) at approximately 11.39pm, circled the coastline for 42 minutes and returned to DXB at 12.21pm.
Ali Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer at Emirates, said the airline worked alongside GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF, which replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel.
Speaking to Gulf News at the sidelines of the event,
Kuljit Ghata-Aura, President of Boeing in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, confirmed that Boeing Company will only manufacture aircraft capable of flying on 100 per cent SAF from 2030. Emirates is also pinning its hopes on procuring 50 per cent of its fuel supply from sustainable alternatives and renewable sources by 2030, said Al Redha.
“The use of SAF can result in up to an 80 per cent reduction in the life cycle of carbon dioxide emissions,” said Zeina Chakhtoura, Senior Customer Service Manager at GE Aviation.
Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at Enoc, said Emirates’ achievement represents a significant step to reducing CO2 emissions and achieving climate neutrality.
Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at Enoc, said Emirates’ achievement represents a significant step to reducing CO2 emissions.
As part of the global aviation industry’s push to meet carbon emission targets, Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates is pinning its hopes to procure 50 per cent of its fuel supply from sustainable alternatives and renewable sources by 2030.
This comes after the airline successfully completed a demonstration flight using 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in one of the two engines on a Boeing 777-300 ER widebody aircraft yesterday. Test flight EK2646 departed from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and flew over the emirate’s coastline for 42 minutes, marking the first flight in the Mena region to be powered by 100 per cent SAF in one of the two engines.
Speaking to Gulf News at the sidelines of the event, Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer at Emirates, said: “The biggest challenge the industry faces today is the availability of SAF and the delivery of the fuel at airports. Our aim (by 2030) is to have SAF run our fuel supply by 50 per cent.” The remaining 50 per cent would come from conventional jet fuel.
SAF is produced from sustainable feedstocks and is very similar in chemistry to traditional fossil jet fuel. Using SAF results in a reduction in carbon emissions compared to the conventional jet fuel.
SAF needs commitment
However, these ambitions can only be realised with commitment from all stakeholders — governments, SAF manufacturers, producers, and other airlines, said Al Redha. “The decision to shift our fuel supply to sustainable sources by 2030 is subject to regulatory approvals and commercial viability. But if this fuel can be made easily available and 50 per cent of our fuel supply comes from SAF, it would be a great achievement,” he added.
Emirates said it worked with GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Finnish biofuel producer Neste and US-based renewable fuels company Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel to run yesterday’s test flight. In the next step of the process, Al Redha said the airline would do an engine ground test and run a test flight using 100 per cent SAF on both engines of the passenger aircraft.