(TAN): Emirates said it operated the world’s inaugural A380 demonstration flight last week solely powered by 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Departing from Dubai International Airport, the flight showcased the potential of SAF as a drop-in replacement for traditional jet fuel, maintaining identical technical and chemical standards while significantly reducing carbon emissions by up to 85% across its life cycle. This marks a crucial step towards standardizing, qualifying, and eventually adopting 100% SAF for commercial aviation. The demonstration underscores SAF’s viability as a safe and reliable alternative, highlighting its seamless compatibility with existing aircraft systems. However, current regulations limit SAF to a 50% blend for commercial flights, the airline said.
[ALSO READ: Star Alliance opens second lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport]
Collaboration among key industry players—such as Airbus, Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney, Neste, Virent, and ENOC—was instrumental in enabling this groundbreaking flight. The 100% drop-in SAF, comprising renewable aromatics closely mirroring conventional jet fuel, utilized two distinct SAF types: HEFA-SPK from Neste and HDO-SAK from Virent. ENOC facilitated the blending of these SAFs at its Dubai facility.
The flight utilized SAF in one Engine Alliance GP7200 engine and Pratt & Whitney’s PW980 auxiliary power unit (APU), while conventional jet fuel powered the remaining engines. Rigorous ground engine testing at the Emirates Engineering Centre in Dubai validated the engine’s capability to run seamlessly on this specially blended 100% drop-in SAF, affirming its performance without requiring modifications.
Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha 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 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.”
[ALSO READ: Hilton’s LXR Hotels & Resorts set for Italy debut]
Julie Kitcher, Airbus Executive Vice President, highlighted the symbolic significance of an A380, the world’s largest airliner, operating on 100% SAF, stressing the urgent need for industry-wide support to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Engine Alliance, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Neste, Virent, and ENOC expressed their pride in contributing to this milestone, underscoring their commitment to innovation and collaboration to drive sustainable aviation forward.
Related posts:
Cathay Pacific commits to zero carbon emissions by 2050
Alaska Air Group, ZeroAvia partner to develop hydrogen powertrain for 76-seat zero-emission aircraft
Emirates operates demonstration flight powered with 100% sustainable aviation fuel
Emirates launches closed-loop recycling to reduce plastic use
