Green gas breakthrough: Emirates flies Airbus A380 with 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel

An Emirates A380 has flown with one engine powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel. Photo / Dean Purcell

Emirates has flown a super-jumbo jet using 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel in one of its four engines.

The demonstrator flight from Dubai is a breakthrough. To date, commercial sustainable aviation fuel (Saf) flights have used a 50-50 blend with traditional fossil fuel.

While Emirates already has commercial flights running on blended Saf (including EK412 from Dubai to Sydney, en route to Christchurch), a demonstration of the largest commercial aircraft in the world using 100 per cent Saf marks a significant milestone for the industry.

The flight could pave the way for future standardisation, qualification and adoption of 100 per cent Saf, as governments adopt broader strategies to support the production and scaling up of the alternative fuel, which is today used for just a fraction of commercial flights.

Finland-headquartered Neste supplied the fuel. Its Saf is made from sustainably sourced, 100 per cent renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste, and is calculated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent over the fuel’s life cycle, compared to using conventional jet fuel.

The demonstrator flight carried four tonnes of Saf, which was used in one Engine Alliance GP7200 engine, while conventional jet fuel was used in the other three engines. The PW980 auxiliary power unit from Pratt & Whitney Canada also ran on 100 per cent Saf.

Emirates chief operating officer Adel Al Redha said the airline and its partners were putting words into action, with the research and trialling of higher concentrations of Saf to eventually lead to industry adoption of flying with 100 per cent Saf.

“The growing global demand for lower-emission jet fuel alternatives is there, and the work of producers and suppliers to commercialise Saf and make it available will be critical in the coming years to help Emirates and the wider industry advance our path to lower carbon emissions.”

This year, Emirates successfully completed the first 100 per cent Saf-powered demonstration flight in the Middle East on a GE90-powered Boeing 777-300ER.

The airline has expanded its partnership with Neste for the supply of over 11 million litres of blended Saf in 2024 and 2025 for flights departing from Amsterdam Schiphol and Singapore Changi airports.

Emirates currently receives its Saf in Norway and France, and the airline is continuing to seek opportunities to use Saf at various airports as supply becomes available.

The Emirates A380 demonstration flight comes as the aviation industry, international organisations, regulatory bodies and high-level officials converge in Dubai for the third International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels.

Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group (Atag) says there are about 10 facilities now producing Saf, but by 2029, more than 150 projects in 35 countries are being explored.

Analysis suggests it is plausible up to 23m tonnes of Saf could be delivered by 2030, although with additional support in the coming two years, this could rise further.

In 2019, commercial airlines used about 300m tonnes of jet fuel, according to the World Economic Forum.

“While there has been much progress on Saf in Europe and North America in particular, if we are to decarbonise air transport around the world, we will also need to ensure an adequate Saf supply around the world,” said Atag executive director Haldane Dodd.

Grant Bradley has been working at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.