Emirates in collaboration with GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Virent and Neste, has operated a demonstration flight with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in one of the engines of an Emirates Boeing 777.
SAF is a biofuel used to power aircraft that has similar properties to conventional jet fuel but with a smaller carbon footprint.
The one-hour flight operated by Emirates is the first of its kind flight in the Middle East and Africa operating with 100% SAF. The year 2023 is also declared the "Year of Sustainability” by the United Arab Emirates.
“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 100% SAF flight take off” - Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates.
Modern aircraft engines are designed to operate with a 50% SAF blend however currently SAF isn’t widely available to allow for a 100% SAF certification.
Emirates’ first flight powered by SAF blended with jet fuel was in 2017, operating from Chicago O’Hare airport on a Boeing 777. It received its first SAF-powered A380 delivery in 2020 and also uplifted 32 tonnes of SAF for its flights from Stockholm that same year.