Airbus A330MRTT completes first 100 percent SAF test flight on both engines
OXFORDSHIRE, England - The Royal Air Force, Airbus and other industry partners have carried out the world’s first 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) flight using an in-service military aircraft. It is also the first 100 percent SAF flight of any aircraft type carried out in UK airspace, AviationPros reports. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
21 November 2023 - An RAF Voyager – the military variant of the Airbus A330 commercial jetliner - took to the skies above RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England, on Wednesday powered completely by 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel on both engines, paving the way for a range of possibilities for the future of flying military aircraft.
The flight was a joint endeavor between the RAF, aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the UK Ministry of Defense's Defense Equipment and Support agency, British aircraft leasing company AirTanker and engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, with the fuel supplied by Air bp.
Sustainable aviation fuel – which is made from waste-based sustainable feedstocks, in this case used cooking oil – reduces lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to the conventional fuel it replaces, lessens the RAF’s reliance on global supply chains and improves operational resilience by reducing the necessity for fuel resupplying.
Related: Study shows full decarbonization of U.S. aviation sector is within grasp
Related: Solar-to-jet-fuel system readies for takeoff
Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace