Test flights with 100 percent SAF at Airbus

SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) is currently the talk of the town and is on its way to becoming the climate-friendly alternative to kerosene. The fact that SAF can now be refueled at Munich Airport, for example, is a remarkable sign. However, until now, it has almost always been blends of SAF and conventional kerosene that have been used for refueling. To ensure that this can change in the future, Airbus has announced test flights of an A320neo with 100 percent SAF refueling for the end of 2021.

The study is a joint project between aircraft manufacturer Airbus, Safran, Dassault Aviation, ONERA and the French Ministry of Transport. Airbus is responsible for analyzing the emission levels of the A320neo test aircraft with full SAF fuelling. Safran’s focus is on the fuel systems and the engines and their optimization for different SAF fuels. For this purpose, TotalEnergies is supplying a wide variety of SAF to be tested. Dassault Aviation and ONERA are supporting the study with further analyses. The results of the study will be the first to provide concrete data on emissions during a flight with 100 percent SAF. Furthermore, it also represents an important starting point for the certification process.

We at WingMag are eager to see how the test flights with 100 percent SAF at Airbus go. Of course, we hope that the final results can further contribute to more climate-neutral aviation and wish good luck!

Picture © Airbus

by Johanna Koyser