Airbus made its first A380 flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel, made from used cooking oil and other fatty waste.
The Airbus A380 took off from Blagnac airport in Toulouse in France with 27 tons of fuel consisting mainly of used cooking oil as well as other fatty waste. In a press statement released by Airbus following the flight, it revealed that the sustainable fuel was used to power a Rolls Royce Trent 900 engine which allowed the flight to last a total of three hours.
The fuel used was supplied by TotalEnergies, a company based in France’s Normandy region. It was made from Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), which is free of both aromatics and sulfur.
Airbus plans to bring the world’s first zero-emission aircraft to market by 2035.
SAF, which claims carbon neutrality because of the CO2 absorbed while its organic ingredients are being grown, is already being used in limited amounts by some airlines. But high prices mean that widespread adoption isn’t expected anytime soon.