Emirates is the first airline to utilise SAF on an A380 with complete system compatibility.
Emirates has successfully completed an A380 demonstration flight on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), making it the first airline in the world to do so. Captains Khalid Binsultan and Philippe Lombet proudly led today’s flight, which took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB) using one of four engines running entirely on solar energy. This flight served to highlight solar energy’s potential as a drop-in replacement that satisfies the technical and chemical requirements of jet fuel while also being a more environmentally friendly option. When compared to traditional jet fuel, SAF can lower carbon emissions by up to 85%* across the fuel’s life cycle.
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.”
In conjunction with the Third International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3), which is taking place in Dubai, the aviation industry, international organisations, regulatory bodies, and high-ranking officials who are in charge of making policy-related decisions will be present during the Emirates A380 demonstration flight. On the testing, technical evaluations, and data analysis for the flight, committed partners from Airbus, Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney, Neste, Virent, and ENOC have been working collaboratively.
Julie Kitcher, Airbus Executive Vice President Communications and Corporate Affairs said, “Seeing Emirates flying an A380, the world’s largest airliner, powered by an engine running on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuels is a symbolic moment. These fuels are the most effective way to address CO2 emissions in the aviation industry today and that they are supported increasingly by the world’s leading airlines. SAF is vital to meeting the sector’s target of net-zero emissions in 2050, but needs the backing of the whole industry. At Airbus, we are working to make all our aircraft 100% SAF-capable by 2030. We’re also working with partners to grow the global SAF market in the coming years. Airbus’s purpose as a company is to pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. Through our partnership with Emirates, we’re matching ambition with action.”
As governments embrace more comprehensive plans to promote the manufacture and scaling up of SAF, demonstration flights such as the one carried out today set the path for future standardisation, qualification, and adoption for 100% SAF flying.
Amy Johnston, president of Engine Alliance, a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney said, “Engine Alliance and Emirates have a strong relationship that dates back 15 years to the A380 entry into service. We are proud to power Emirates’ latest SAF demonstration flight – and share a commitment to more sustainable aviation looking forward.”
The A380 demonstration flight adds to the increasing amount of research being conducted by the industry to assess the positive benefits of 100% SAF on aircraft performance by highlighting the performance and compatibility of SAF, making it a safe and dependable fuel source. Currently, the maximum SAF mix restriction for engines used in commercial aircraft is 50%.
Aziz Koleilat, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Turkey at GE Aerospace said, “Innovation and collaboration are the keys to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as this 100% SAF demonstration flight shows. GE Aerospace congratulates Emirates on this major achievement, and we are proud to be powering industry efforts toward a more sustainable future. All GE Aerospace and Engine Alliance engines can operate on approved SAF blends today and through extensive research and testing, GE Aerospace is helping lead the approval and adoption of 100% SAF in the aviation industry.”
The 100% drop-in SAF that was utilised on this flight has properties that are similar to those of conventional jet fuel and contains renewable aromatics. Drop-in SAF is being deployed on an A380 aircraft for the first time, and it is anticipated that all of the aircraft’s current systems will work flawlessly.
Graham Webb, Chief Sustainability Officer, Pratt & Whitney said, “Increasing the use of SAF is critical to achieving the goal of net-zero carbon emissions for aviation, and we are dedicated to ensuring all of Pratt & Whitney’s engines and APUs are compatible with current and future SAF specifications, up to 100%. This in-flight demonstration on an Emirates A380 continues to build momentum towards establishing future standards for 100% SAF, which will help maximize the potential lifecycle emissions reduction for all commercial aircraft flying in the decades ahead.”
Four tonnes of SAF were transported on the aircraft, consisting of HDO-SAK (hydro deoxygenated synthetic aromatic kerosene) from Virent and HEFA-SPK (hydro processed esters and fatty acids synthetic paraffinic kerosene) from Neste. Prior to the demonstration, ENOC assisted in securing the clean SAF made up of HEFA-SPK, mixed it with Sustainable Aviation Kerosene (SAK) at its facility in Dubai International Airport, and performed in-flight services.
Jonathan Wood, Vice President Commercial Management and Business Development from the Renewable Aviation business at Neste said, “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.”
One Engine Alliance GP7200 engine ran on 100% SAF, while the other three engines ran on regular jet fuel. Additionally operating on 100% SAF was Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW980 auxiliary power unit (APU). Collaboration across industries brings in knowledge from companies like Virent, Airbus, Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney, ENOC, and Neste.
Dave Kettner,President and General Counsel, Virent said, “Virent congratulates Emirates Airline on another successful demonstration flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel featuring Virent’s cleaner-burning BioForm® SAK. With Virent’s plant-based fuels technology, this test flight showed that 100% renewable fuel can meet current specifications and work flawlessly in today’s commercial airline engines. It’s critical that a consortium of companies, like this group, come together to bring sustainable aviation fuel into more widespread use. Virent will continue to collaborate with future-focused companies, and through this collaboration we can continue to reduce emissions and power a more fuel-efficient airline industry.”
Robust engine testing was conducted last week for a single A380 Engine Alliance GP7200 engine using 100% SAF. The goal was to confirm that the engine could operate on the specially blended 100% drop-in SAF without experiencing any performance issues or needing any modifications. The modern Emirates Engineering Centre in Dubai was the site of the ground engine testing.
Saif Humaid al Falasi, Group CEO, ENOC, said, “At ENOC, we recognize the importance of working collaboratively with strategic partners and industry experts to realise a more sustainable future for all. We are pleased to have contributed to fueling Emirates’ first 100% sustainable aviation fuel demonstration flight on an Airbus A380, which brings us a step closer to decarbonising the UAE’s aviation sector and transforming it into a regional hub for low carbon aviation fuels. We remain committed to supporting the UAE’s efforts in the aviation sector to ensure continued sustainable growth.”
In early 2023 , Emirates’ GE90-powered Boeing 777-300ER accomplished the region’s first 100% SAF-powered demonstration flight. The first Emirates flights using Shell Aviation’s SAF took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB) last month. 315,000 gallons of mixed SAF were provided by Shell for usage at the airline’s Dubai hub.
The airline and Neste have extended their partnership to include the provision of over 3 million gallons of blended SAF for flights departing from Singapore Changi and Amsterdam Schiphol airports in 2024 and 2025. As supplies become available, Emirates looks for opportunities to deploy SAF at other airports. Currently, the airline uplifts SAF in France and Norway.
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To assist in scaling the production and delivery of SAF, Emirates takes part in a number of working groups led by the UAE government and business, in addition to continuous stakeholder engagements. The airline actively participated in the creation of the UAE’s National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap, which was introduced in January 2023 by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and GCAA, and last year worked with the UAE GCAA to develop the country’s power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels roadmap, which was spearheaded by the World Economic Forum and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in the UAE.
