RIYADH: The UAE’s Emirates airlines has operated its breakthrough test flight powered by 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel, according to a press release.
The flight is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region. It is “a milestone moment for Emirates and a positive step for our industry as we work collectively to address one of our biggest challenges — reducing our carbon footprint,” a statement quoted Chief Operating Officer of Emirates Adel Al-Redha as saying.
Nowadays, sustainable aviation fuel is used in airplanes but only in blends of 50 percent with conventional jet fuels.
That said, the Emirates flight will act as a reference for potential demonstrations in the near future where 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel is approved.
“We hope that landmark demonstration flights like this one, will help open the door to scale up the SAF supply chain and make it more available and accessible across geographies, and most importantly, affordable for broader industry adoption in the future,” Al-Redha added.
It is important to note that in order to procure and develop a sustainable aviation fuel blend that is capable of replacing conventional jet fuel, Emirates worked with its partners, namely GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste, and Virent.
“Sustainable aviation fuel will play a critical role in the aviation industry’s commitment to becoming net zero by 2050, requiring strong industry collaboration,” said Omar Arekat, vice president of commercial sales and marketing, Middle East at the Boeing Co.
“Sustainable aviation fuel plays a crucial role in reducing the emissions of air travel but to fully leverage its decarbonization potential we need to enable 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel use,” added Jonathan Wood, vice president of EMEA, renewable aviation at Neste.
