Emirates runs demo flight using sustainable aviation fuel

Emirates has operated a demonstration flight on the use of a 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to power one of the engines of a Boeing 777-300ER.  

The flight took off from Dubai International Airport last Monday and flew for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline, said a press release.

The demonstration flight using the "drop-in" SAF, meaning one that can be added to any fossil jet fuel to reduce emissions with no changes needed to the aircraft, is the first in the Middle East and North Africa.

Currently, Emirates is working 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. 

"Landmark demonstration flights like this one will help open the door to scale up the SAF supply chain," said Adel Al Redha, chief operating officer of Emirates Airline.

"…and make it more available and accessible across geographies, and most importantly, affordable for broader industry adoption in the future," he said.

Emirates' first flight powered by SAF blended with jet fuel was on a Boeing 777 in 2017, operating from Chicago O'Hare International Airport.