Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The flight took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB), flying for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline.
In a statement, Emirates dubbed the flight as an important milestone as the UAE declares 2023 the "Year of Sustainability."
Emirates said the flight supports collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying and help advance the UAE's sustainability objectives.
First in the Middle East
"Emirates' demonstration flight, the first in the Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF, supports broader efforts to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions as the industry looks to scale up its use of SAF," the Dubai-based carrier said in its announcement.
It added that the flights would also help to refine the playbook for future SAF demonstrations and support future certification where 100% drop-in SAF fuel is approved for aircraft.
Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft but only in blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel.
Emirates said it worked alongside partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that closely replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel.
"The test flight further demonstrates the compatibility of the specially blended SAF as a safe and reliable fuel source," Emirates said.
It noted that the "promising outcome" of this initiative also reinforces industry data and research around SAF blends in higher proportions, paving the way for standardization and future approval of 100% drop-in SAF as a replacement for jet fuel, well above the current 50% blend limit.
"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," said Adel Al Redha, chief operating officer of Emirates Airlines.
"Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate a Boeing 777 powering a GE engine with 100% SAF. Such initiatives are critical contributors to industry knowledge on SAF and provide data to demonstrate the use of higher blends of SAF for future regulatory approvals," Al Redha added, noting that the demonstration should help open the door to scale up the SAF supply chain and make it more available for wider industry adoption.
Aziz Koleilat, vice president of global sales and marketing for the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Turkey at GE Aerospace, said, "all GE Aerospace engines can operate on approved SAF blends today."
"We are helping support the approval and adoption of 100% SAF," Koleilat added.
Meanwhile, Omar Arekat, vice president of commercial sales and marketing, Middle East, of The Boeing Company, said SAF will play a critical role in the aviation industry's commitment to be net zero by 2050.
Emirates' sustainability initiatives
Emirates noted that it is committed to supporting initiatives that help minimise its CO2 emissions and said the airline also supports IATA's collective industry commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and is exploring opportunities to augment operational fuel efficiency, SAF, low carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and renewable energy.
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.
