Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines 100% with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight took off on 30 January from Dubai International Airport (DXB) flying for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline.
1. 100% drop in SAF
The airline worked alongside partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that closely replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel. At each blend ratio, a host of chemical and physical fuel property measurements were carried out. After multiple lab tests and rigorous trials, they arrived at a blending ratio that mirrored the qualities of traditional jet fuel.
Eighteen tonnes of SAF were blended, comprised of HEFA-SPK provided by Neste (hydro processed esters and fatty acids and synthetic paraffinic kerosene) and HDO-SAK from Virent (hydro deoxygenated synthetic aromatic kerosene). The 100% SAF then supplied one GE90 engine of the Boeing aircraft, with conventional jet fuel supplying the other engine.
Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate a Boeing 777 powering a GE engine with 100% SAF.
Adel Al Redha, CEO Emirates Airline
“Such initiatives are critical contributors to industry knowledge on SAF and provide data to demonstrate the use of higher blends of SAF for future regulatory approvals. We hope that landmark demonstrations 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”, said Emirates CEO Adel Al Redha.
This was the first demonstration flight in the Middle East and North Africa in which one of the aircraft engines was powered by 100% SAF. The test supports broader efforts to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions as the industry looks to scale up its use of SAF. It also adds to the body of data paving the way for standardisation and future approval of 100% SAF as a replacement for conventional jet fuel, well above the currently allowed 50% blend limit.
The test flight further demonstrates the compatibility of SAF as a safe and reliable propulsion source and validates that no changes to the aircraft, engines, fuelling infrastructure or special maintenance are required on the Boeing 777-300ER or GE90 engine.
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.
Jonathan Wood, Vice President EMEA, Renewable Aviation at Neste
“Test flights like this Emirates flight with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel are an important step towards 100% SAF certification. Neste is working closely together with partners to accelerate the availability and use of SAF as we increase our SAF production capacity to 1.5 million tons per annum by the end of this year. We look forward to growing the supply of SAF also to Dubai”, said Jonathan Wood, Vice President EMEA, Renewable Aviation at Neste.
2. Sustainability goals
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.
The airline already runs a comprehensive fuel efficiency programme that actively investigates and implements ways to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions, wherever it is operationally feasible. Some of the programme’s most significant initiatives include the operation of “flex tracks”, or flexible routings – partnering with air navigation service providers to create the most efficient flight plan for each flight. These efforts have been ongoing since 2003 and Emirates has been working with IATA to extend this routing system across the world as a standard operating procedure where possible.
The demonstration flight powered by SAF also holds particular significance to the UAE, as the country declared 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’. 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. The flight supports collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying and help advance the UAE’s sustainability objectives.
