A380 goes SAF *

Airbus has performed the first A380 flight powered by 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

The A380 test aircraft MSN 1 took off from Blagnac Airport, Toulouse (France) at 08:43 on Friday 25 March.  The flight lasted about 3hr, operating one Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on 100% SAF.
 
Total Energies provided 27 tonnes of unblended SAF for this flight.  The SAF produced in Normandy, close to Le Havre (France) was made from Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), free of aromatics and sulphur, and primarily consisting of used cooking oil, as well as other waste fats.

This is the third Airbus aircraft type to fly on 100% SAF over the course of 12 months; the first was an Airbus A350 in March 2021 followed by an A319neo single-aisle aircraft in October 2021.

Increasing the use of SAF remains a key pathway to achieving the industry’s ambition of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Key statistics outlined in the Waypoint 2050 report indicate that SAF could contribute between 53% and 71% of required carbon reductions.

All Airbus aircraft are currently certified to fly with up to a 50% blend of SAF mixed with kerosene. The aim is to achieve certification of 100% SAF by the end of this decade.

www.airbus.com

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OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Malcolm Ginsberg, United Kingdom

Mr Kemp. I find your comment less than constructive. Airbus & Rolls-Royce are to be complimented on the progress being made with respect to sustainable fuel. It’s a start and you are splitting hairs,

Jo Kemp, United Kingdom

Very sad you to decided to cut and paste the Airbus promotional garbage. Can A380 cannot fly on one engine for any serious length of time so hardly "powered by 100% sustainable fuel" If this was an advertisement, The Trades Description add would be invoked.