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Emirates To Operate Flights With 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel | |
| Sumita Pawar |
Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), according to the report.
The flight took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and was commanded by Captain Fali Vajifdar and Captain Khalid Nasser Akram, flying for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline.
The demonstration flight powered by SAF holds particular significance as the UAE declares 2023 the "Year of Sustainability."
According to the report, the year will showcase the UAE’s commitment to seek innovative solutions to challenges such as energy, climate change, and other issues related to sustainability.
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The flight supports collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying and help advance the UAE’s sustainability objectives, as highlighted in the report.
As the industry looks to increase its use of SAF, Emirates' demonstration flight, which was the first in the Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF, helps with efforts to reduce CO2 emissions over the whole lifecycle.
Report elaborated, Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel.
The test flight further demonstrates the compatibility of the specially blended SAF as a safe and reliable fuel source.
Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates Airline, said: "This flight 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."
"It has been a long journey to finally see this demonstration of 100% SAF flight take off." Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate a Boeing 777 powered by a GE engine with 100% SAF.
He added, "GE Aerospace congratulates Emirates on this major achievement." "SAF is critical to helping the aviation industry reach its goal of being net zero by 2050, and collaborations like this to test 100% SAF globally will help bring us closer to this target," said Aziz Koleilat, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Turkey at GE Aerospace. "All GE Aerospace engines can operate on approved SAF blends today, and we are helping support the approval and adoption of 100% SAF."
Mosab Alkubaisy, Director of Airlines, Honeywell Aerospace Middle East, said, "We are excited to bring our technology to such a milestone demonstration." The 331-500 auxiliary power unit, or APU, is an integral part of the Boeing 777 aircraft system. The APU provides main engine starting, environmental control, and emergency backup systems for the aircraft on the ground and in flight. It uses the same fuel as the main propulsion engines.
According to Jonathan Wood, Vice President EMEA, Renewable Aviation at Neste, 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% SAF use.
Test flights like this Emirates flight with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel are an important step towards 100% SAF certification.
He added, "Neste is working closely with partners to accelerate the availability and use of SAF as we increase our SAF production capacity to 1.5 million tonnes per annum by the end of this year." We look forward to increasing SAF supply to Dubai.
His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at ENOC, praised the achievement as it coincides with 2023 as the "Year of Sustainabilityof Sustainability," which was announced by the UAE’s President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It also represents a major step towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions and achieving climate neutrality, according to the report.
His Excellency added: "At ENOC, we prioritise working closely with our strategic partners to implement a national roadmap for sustainable aviation fuel."
"This not only aims to accelerate the decarbonization of the aviation sector but also contributes to achieving the UAE’s goals in climate neutrality, enhances the efficiency and conservation of fuel, as well as positions the UAE as a regional hub for sustainable aviation fuel." Playing an active role in supplying Dubai Airports with aviation fuel, ENOC Group is participating in this achievement by securing and blending sustainable aviation fuel, which will help secure this type of fuel in the UAE in the future.
The report also highlighted that Emirates is committed to supporting initiatives that help minimise its CO2 emissions, and the airline has already made great strides in fuel efficiency and conservation as well as operational advancements.
The airline also supports IATA’s collective industry commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and is exploring opportunities to augment operational fuel efficiency, SAF, low-carbon aviation fuels (LCAF), and renewable energy.
In 2017, Emirates took off from Chicago's O'Hare airport on a Boeing 777 powered by SAF mixed with jet fuel.
It received its first SAF-powered A380 delivery in 2020 and also uplifted 32 metric tonnes of SAF for its flights from Stockholm that same year.