São Paulo – Dubai-based Emirates airline from the United Arab Emirates flew this Monday (30), fueling one of the engines of a Boeing 777-300ER entirely on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The company announced on its website it was the first demonstration flight in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) using 100% SAF in one of the two engines. SAF is a fuel made from renewable inputs. The flight left Dubai International Airport and flew over the coast of the emirate for over an hour.
The company said it worked with partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste, and Virent to develop a SAF blend that closely replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel. Emirates reported, after several tests; it arrived at the ideal blending ratio. The company informed the promising result would pave the way for using SAF as a substitute for traditional aviation fuel and not just the 50% blend.
The Dubai airline announced the flight is of particular importance as the UAE have declared 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability.’ In November this year, the Arab country will host the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28). The first Emirates flight with SAF mixed with jet fuel was operated in 2017, also on a Boeing 777 aircraft. The flight was operated from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in the United States.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
