Airbus completed the first A380 flight powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel. Photo: Airbus
Airbus completed the first A380 flight powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel. Photo: Airbus
Airbus completed the first A380 flight powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel. Photo: Airbus
Airbus completed the first A380 flight powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel. Photo: Airbus

Airbus flies first A380 powered by sustainable fuel


Deena Kamel
  • English
  • Arabic

Airbus flew the first A380 flight powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) last week, which the industry sees as a way of making flying more environmentally friendly before the introduction of hybrid, electric or hydrogen aircraft.

The four-engined Airbus A380 test aircraft MSN 1 took off from Blagnac Airport in Toulouse, France at 8.43am on March 25, the European planemaker said in a statement. The flight lasted about three hours, operating one Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine entirely on SAF.

"Increasing the use of SAF remains a key pathway to achieving the industry’s ambition of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050," Airbus said.

Last year, airlines pledged net-zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2050, bringing the air transport industry in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Airlines are facing pressure from environmental groups to lower their carbon footprint and to build back greener operations after the Covid-19 pandemic.

In October 2021, at the 77th Annual General Meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Boston, US, the industry lobby group outlined plans for achieving this target through a combination of eliminating emissions at the source (such as the use of SAF and improvements to air traffic navigation), offsetting and carbon capture technologies.

Under this plan, Iata estimates that SAF could contribute about 65 per cent of the reduction in emissions needed by aviation to reach net zero in 2050. But this requires a huge increase in production to meet demand. Iata expects the largest acceleration of SAF production in the 2030s as policy support becomes global, SAF becomes competitive with fossil kerosene, and credible offsets become fewer.

The 27 tonnes of unblended SAF for the Airbus A380 flight were provided by TotalEnergies.

The SAF – produced in Normandy, close to Le Havre, France – was made from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (Hefa), free of aromatics and sulphur, and primarily consisting of used cooking oil as well as other waste fats.

A second flight, with the same aircraft, was scheduled to operate from Toulouse to Nice Airport, on March 29 to test the use of SAF during take-off and landing.

This is the third Airbus aircraft type to fly on 100 per cent SAF over the past 12 months. The first was an Airbus A350 in March 2021 followed by an A319 Neo single-aisle aircraft in October 2021.

The Waypoint 2050 report, a blueprint for aviation’s sustainable future in line with the Paris Agreement, has identified SAF as a key driver of emissions reduction, because whereas electric and hydrogen-powered flight is the ultimate goal, the technology is unlikely to be introduced for commercial-sized aircraft before the middle of the 2030s.

Currently, less than 0.1 per cent of aviation fuel comes from SAF. To get to critical mass, experts say production would need to be about 2 per cent by 2025 and then rapidly climb.

All Airbus aircraft are presently certified to fly with up to a 50 per cent blend of SAF mixed with kerosene. The aim is to achieve certification of 100 per cent SAF by the end of this decade, the company said.

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The A380 aircraft used during the SAF-powered test is the same aircraft recently revealed as Airbus’s ZEROe Demonstrator – a flying test-bed for future technologies needed to bringing the world’s first zero-emission aircraft to market by 2035.

Emirates airline is the world's biggest operator of the A380 with 118 superjumbos in its fleet. Of these, 67 have resumed service after most of the fleet was grounded in 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"In the time we’ve had them, prior to the pandemic, they’ve produced about 80 per cent of our profits," Emirates airline president Tim Clark told the World Government Summit in Dubai this week when asked about the economics and sustainability of flying the four-engined jet.

"They’re going to be more unique going forward. The consumer demand for these aeroplanes is astronomical, we’re going to refurbish them, refresh them, put more innovation into them, they’re going to be something really special over the next 10 to 15 years," he said. "Watch this space."

Iata is calling on governments and oil majors to redirect their focus and investment to support sustainable aviation fuels to help airlines reach their environmental goals.

Jet fuel produced from biomass or synthetically from renewable power has the potential to slash carbon emissions, although at a higher cost compared with the price of kerosene.

Best A380 liveries - in pictures

  • 13 of the best A380 liveries: Emirates' the Museum of the Future livery. Photo: Emirates
    13 of the best A380 liveries: Emirates' the Museum of the Future livery. Photo: Emirates
  • Emirates flew this Expo 2020 liveried plane all over the world, which became a favourite of plane spotters who shared images on social media. Photo: Emirates
    Emirates flew this Expo 2020 liveried plane all over the world, which became a favourite of plane spotters who shared images on social media. Photo: Emirates
  • The Cricket World Cup liveried Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates
    The Cricket World Cup liveried Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates
  • The space livery on the Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates
    The space livery on the Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates
  • The Emirates special livery in support of United for Wildlife, a global collaboration that unites the efforts of the world's leading wildlife charities in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. Wam
    The Emirates special livery in support of United for Wildlife, a global collaboration that unites the efforts of the world's leading wildlife charities in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. Wam
  • An Emirates A380 with Expo 2020 livery flying over Jumeirah Beach and Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, on October 13, 2021. EPA
    An Emirates A380 with Expo 2020 livery flying over Jumeirah Beach and Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, on October 13, 2021. EPA
  • Etihad Airways' first Airbus A380 with the Facets of Dhabi livery. Lee Hoagland / The National
    Etihad Airways' first Airbus A380 with the Facets of Dhabi livery. Lee Hoagland / The National
  • The emerald green Expo 2020 sustainability livery on an Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates
    The emerald green Expo 2020 sustainability livery on an Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates
  • The Rugby World Cup special livery on Emirates' A380. Courtesy Emirates
    The Rugby World Cup special livery on Emirates' A380. Courtesy Emirates
  • Emirates' 100th A380 with its special Year of Zayed livery. Emmanuel Samoglou / The National
    Emirates' 100th A380 with its special Year of Zayed livery. Emmanuel Samoglou / The National
  • An Etihad A380 with Year of Zayed livery. Courtesy Etihad Airways
    An Etihad A380 with Year of Zayed livery. Courtesy Etihad Airways
  • Emirates' new livery seen here on an A380 superjumbo celebrating the UAE's golden anniversary.
    Emirates' new livery seen here on an A380 superjumbo celebrating the UAE's golden anniversary.
  • Real Madrid flying into Abu Dhabi on a special livery A380. Courtesy Emirates
    Real Madrid flying into Abu Dhabi on a special livery A380. Courtesy Emirates
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Slow loris biog

From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore

Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets

Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation

Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night

Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3

Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)

Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)

Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)

Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)

Australia World Cup squad

Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa

Results

6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m 

Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer) 

6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m 

Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor 

7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m 

Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer 

7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m 

Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor 

8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m 

Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby 

8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m 

Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons 

9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m 

Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor  

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Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

360Vuz PROFILE

Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah 
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology 
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million 
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)

Engine 2.4L four-cylinder 

Gearbox Nine-speed automatic 

Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm

Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km

UAE jiu-jitsu squad

Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)

Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)

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MATCH INFO

Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')

Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')

The%20end%20of%20Summer
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Scotland's team:

15-Sean Maitland, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Nick Grigg, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Byron McGuigan, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Ali Price, 8-Magnus Bradbury, 7-Hamish Watson, 6-Sam Skinner, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Ben Toolis, 3-Willem Nel, 2-Stuart McInally (captain), 1-Allan Dell

Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Greig Laidlaw, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris

Updated: March 31, 2022, 3:54 AM