The debut flight was from Charleston International Airport, South Carolina to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, on Vistara’s GEnx-powered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Vistara, India’s leading full-service airline and a joint venture of Tata group and Singapore Airlines, made history by becoming the first Indian carrier to operate a wide-body aircraft using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a long-haul route. The groundbreaking ferry flight was from Charleston International Airport, South Carolina to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, on Vistara’s newest GEnx-powered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, the fourth in its fleet. By using a blend of 30% SAF with 70% conventional jet fuel, Vistara was able to reduce approximately 150,000 pounds of CO₂ emissions over the fuel’s life cycle.
Vistara has always been dedicated to sustainable practices and is a member of the TATA Aviation Sustainability Working Group, along with other aviation arms of the TATA group, to reduce carbon emissions. The airline, along with other airline companies of the Tata group – Air India and Air Asia India, recently signed an MoU with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum to collaborate on the research, development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “We take immense pride in carrying out another pioneering initiative to operate a wide-body aircraft on a long-haul route using SAF. This is an important milestone in our commitment towards achieving carbon neutrality. Since the very beginning, Vistara had decided to invest in modern and advanced new aircraft with fuel-efficient engines, and we remain committed towards reducing carbon emissions across all areas of our operations.”
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to conventional jet fuel, lowering carbon emissions by up to 80% over the fuel’s life cycle, depending on the feedstock. Vistara is constantly looking at improved ways to do business, keeping sustainability at the heart of those innovations, and this ferry flight on SAF is another industry-first initiative in India.
Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India, said, “We congratulate Vistara on the significant achievement of becoming the first Indian airline to operate a wide-body aircraft, the Boeing 787-9, on a long-haul route using SAF. This is a major milestone in the Indian aviation industry’s journey towards decarbonization, and we are proud to have been a partner in this endeavor. Boeing remains committed to working with Vistara and other partners to promote the use of SAF in the Indian aviation industry and around the world, in support of our collective goal of achieving a sustainable future for air travel.”
This historic flight by Vistara comes at a time when the aviation industry is under increased scrutiny for its contribution to climate change. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), aviation accounts for around 2% of global carbon emissions, and this number is expected to rise in the coming years as air travel continues to grow in popularity.
The use of SAF, like the one used by Vistara, is seen as a key tool in the aviation industry’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. SAF is produced from sustainable feedstocks such as agricultural waste, forestry residues, and municipal solid waste. Unlike conventional jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil, SAF is renewable and produces significantly fewer carbon emissions.
Vikram Rai, Country Head for South Asia & Indonesia, GE Aerospace said, “GE Aerospace congratulates Vistara on this milestone. The GEnx engine, like all GE Aerospace engines, can operate on approved SAF blends today. Compatibility with existing aircraft engines is one of the reasons SAF is critical to helping the aviation industry reach its goal to be net-zero by 2050, and collaborations like this encouraging greater adoption of SAF globally help bring us closer to this target. The GEnx is also up to 15% more fuel-efficient than its predecessor, helping reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in flight in addition to the benefits of SAF.”
Vistara’s commitment to sustainability is not limited to the use of SAF. The airline has also taken other steps to reduce its environmental impact, including investing in new, fuel-efficient aircraft and implementing measures to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency across its operations. The airline’s partnership with the TATA Aviation Sustainability Working Group and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum is also a testament to its commitment to finding innovative solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.
The successful use of SAF on this long-haul flight is a significant milestone for Vistara, Boeing, and GE Aerospace, and it represents a major step forward in the aviation industry’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. As more airlines follow in Vistara’s footsteps and begin to use SAF, we can hope to see a significant reduction in the environmental impact of air travel.
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With the COP26 climate summit set to take place later this year, the aviation industry’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions will be under scrutiny. But with innovative solutions like SAF, and the commitment of companies like Vistara, the industry is moving in the right direction.
