Airbus made history by flying a helicopter for the first time ever using only sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), according to the company's press statement.
The aviation company's historic flight was conducted using an Airbus H225, which is powered by two Safran's Makila 2 engines.
Airbus also completed its first-ever A380 airplane flight powered entirely by SAF in March.
First Helicopter Flight Using 100% SAF
Airbus also conducted a SAF flight of an H225 in November 2021, however at that time, one of the two Makila 2 engines was fueled by normal fuel and the other by SAF.
This is a part of the flight campaign designed to determine how SAF use affects the helicopter's systems. In order to certify the usage of 100% SAF by 2030, tests on other types of helicopters with various fuel and engine architectures are anticipated to continue.
According to Stefan Thome, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technical Officer, Airbus Helicopters, this flight with SAF powering the twin engines of the H225 marks a significant turning point for the helicopter industry.
"It marks a new stage in our journey to certify the use of 100% SAF in our helicopters, a fact that would mean a reduction of up to 90% in CO2 emissions alone."
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Greener Airflight
The Waypoint 2050 report states that the use of SAF in aviation might be responsible for between 50% and 75%of the CO2 reduction required to achieve net carbon emissions by 2050 in the aviation sector.
In order to meet its goal of cutting CO2 emissions from its helicopters by 50% by 2030, Airbus Helicopters uses SAF as one of the levers. Utilizing this new fuel has several advantages, one of which is that it enables the aircraft to reduce its carbon footprint while preserving the same level of flight performance.
Airbus said although SAF production only makes up 0.1% of all aviation fuel production at the moment, this percentage is anticipated to rise sharply in the approaching years in order to fulfill both rising operator demand and impending SAF usage regulations.
Other Projects of Airbus
In a separate press statement, The first A380 flight powered entirely by SAF was also conducted by Airbus. On March 25, the Airbus A380 test aircraft MSN 1 departed from Toulouse, France's Blagnac Airport. About three hours of the flight were spent running one Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine entirely on SAF.
The SAF produced in the Normandy region of France, was made from Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), free of aromatics and sulphur, and predominantly composed of discarded cooking oil and other waste fats.
TotalEnergies supplied 27 tonnes of unblended SAF for this flight.
After an Airbus A350 in March 2021 and an A319neo single-aisle aircraft in October 2021, this is the third Airbus aircraft type to fly exclusively on SAF over the course of a year.
