The Airbus A380, a massive wide-body airliner used by international commercial airlines like British Airways, Emirates, and Korean Air, touched down Friday after a successful test flight from Airbus’ French headquarters in Toulouse. The plane was powered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a blend of used cooking oil, agricultural residue, and non-fossil CO2 which sustained the plane’s single Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine throughout the three-hour trip.
Airbus has actually conducted test flights with pure SAF before, albeit with smaller aircraft. It tested an Airbus 350 in March of last year, followed by a much smaller A319neo single-aisle aircraft in October. Both of these tests were successful, with Airbus’ lead flight test engineer finding “no difference in engine behavior.”
(Photo: H. Gousse/Airbus)
That being said, it’s promising that a much larger commercial airliner can seemingly operate smoothly on 100 percent SAF. Almost all airline emissions are related to jet fuel combustion, a global environmental concern that SAF may be able to address. SAF is said to emit just 20 percent of the CO2 emitted by aircraft using traditional fuel and it has less of an impact on local air quality. There are benefits for airlines, too: SAF testing has proven it to be 1.5 -3 percent more efficient than traditional fuel, resulting in higher payload conditions and extended range. (Given that commercial aircraft burn through about five gallons of fuel per mile, this may help airlines save a pretty penny, too.)
Though Airbus aircraft are currently certified to fly on only 50 percent SAF (with the other 50 percent consisting of traditional kerosene), the company hopes to obtain certification to use 100 percent SAF by 2030. Based on statistics from the Waypoint 2050 report, using SAF could reduce Airbus’ carbon emissions by up to 71 percent—a vital element to achieving the industry’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
For those who have climate anxiety, this is a good sign. In fact, it’s a great sign when considered alongside other attempts to reduce airline emissions. United has tested passenger flights powered by SAF, and Denmark is working toward a goal of conducting only fossil fuel-free domestic flights by 2030. In conclusion: if your plane starts to smell a bit like French fries, don’t be alarmed.
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