Emirates conducts first flight pumping 50% SAF

Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight of a biofuel-powered B777-300ER, whereby one of the plane’s two engines was powered with 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is typically made from used cooking oil or renewable plant sugars and has a lower carbon footprint over its lifecycle than fossil fuel.

The flight – which departed from Dubai International airport, and flew for more than an hour over the emirate’s coastline – was the first in the region to be powered by 100 per cent SAF in one engine.Emirates SAF flightWorking in partnership with GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent, Emirates developed a blend of SAF that closely replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel. Following rigorous lab tests and trials, 18 tonnes of SAF were blended using chemicals provided by these partners.

The Emirates test flight adds to the growing body of industry data and research around SAF blends and will help pave the way for the standardisation and future approval of 100 per-cent SAF as a replacement for jet fuel. Currently, SAF is approved for use on all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50 per cent with conventional jet fuel.

The Gulf carrier’s test flight is also timely as the UAE has declared 2023 the “Year of Sustainability”, showcasing its commitment to seeking innovative solutions to challenges such as energy and climate change.

Since 2003, Emirates has run a fuel efficiency programme that investigates and implements ways to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions wherever operationally feasible. Its most significant initiatives include “flex tracks”, or flexible routings – partnering with air navigation service providers to create the most efficient flight plan for each flight.

The airline has also been working with trade body IATA to extend this routing system across the world as a standard operating procedure, and supports IATA’s collective industry commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 by exploring ways to increase fuel efficiency, SAF, low carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and renewable energy.

The first Emirates flight powered by SAF blended with jet fuel was in 2017, which flew from Chicago O’Hare airport on a Boeing 777. The airline received its first SAF-powered A380 aircraft in 2020, and also uplifted 32 tonnes of SAF for its flights from Stockholm that same year.