Emirates has become the first airline to operate an Airbus A380 demonstration flight powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel in one of the superjumbo's four engines.
Wednesday's test flight aimed to demonstrate the clean fuel's potential as a drop-in replacement for jet kerosene that matches its technical and chemical requirements, Emirates said.
The flight by the world's biggest operator of A380 double-decker jets took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 11.15am and landed at 12.30pm
“Once we've completed this test, the next step will be the availability of SAF in various airports and we are relying on fuel suppliers to start manufacturing and producing such a fuel at a volume that we will be requiring – that will be the challenge,” Adel Al Redha, Emirates' chief operating officer, said on the tarmac before the aircraft took off.
“I hope that next year we will be able to see the volume of SAF being available at airports at the required levels to support airlines.”
Dubai this week hosts the International Civil Aviation Organisation's third Conference on Alternative Aviation Fuels. The industry gathering is seeking to establish a global framework for SAF, lower-carbon aviation fuels and other clean energy that is critical for the aviation sector to achieve its net-zero target by 2050.
The test flight also comes days before the UAE hosts the Cop28 climate change summit, from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai.
In January, Emirates completed the demonstration flight of a Boeing 777-300ER powered by 100 per cent SAF, as part of the global aviation industry's push to use more of the greener fuel to meet carbon emission targets.
The International Air Transport Association believes SAF could contribute more than 60 per cent of the emissions reduction needed in aviation globally by 2050. The rest will be tackled by efficiency improvements through technology and operations and the use of hydrogen-powered planes, provided that countries create effective support policies.
SAF challenges
However, airlines are struggling to buy enough SAF to power flights. The scale of production remains small and the clean fuel is more expensive for airlines to buy than conventional kerosene.
“SAF is still not available across many airports,” Mr Al Redha said.
Emirates operates passenger and cargo services to 144 airports globally as of September 30 with a fleet of Boeing 777s and A380s.
Asked if Emirates has a goal for SAF use across its fleet of wide-body aircraft, Mr Al Redha pointed to industrywide challenges including sourcing enough SAF at an economically viable price at major airports.
“It’s not about Emirates having a target, it’s about what’s really available in the industry,” he said.
“There are physical challenges that we need to overcome.”
SAF is three to five times more expensive than traditional jet fuel, but increasing production volumes will help reduce the cost of production and distribution, he said.
The commitment by industry stakeholders including airlines, plane makers and oil companies to reduce carbon emissions will lead to improvements in SAF supply over the next few years.
“We’re just in the beginning of it and that’s why we’re not seeing the quantity we need but I expect in the next five to seven years we will see a major step-change in this direction,” Mr Al Redha said.
Emirates' test flight on Wednesday was the result of a cross-industry collaboration between Airbus, Engine Alliance (a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney), Enoc, Finnish biofuel producer Neste and Wisconsin-based renewable fuels company Virent.
Neste is ramping up its SAF production capacity to 1.5 million tonnes in 2024 and 2.2 million tonnes by 2026, the company's global head of aviation regulation, Klaas Pel, said.
The company currently has a global SAF production capability of 1 million tonnes, according to its website.
Aviation is the hardest sector to abate, making it a global challenge, but while SAF is expensive, “the cost of doing nothing, the cost of continuing to flying on fossil fuel on the environment will be a lot higher” Mr Al Redha said.
“Time is running out, climate change is real … and we want not just ourselves but also our children and grandchildren to be able to fly,” he added.
The Emirates A380 test flight adds to the body of industry data and research about using SAF blends in higher proportions, paving the way for standardisation and future certification of 100 per cent drop-in SAF as a replacement for jet fuel. The current blend limit is 50 per cent.
“At Airbus, we are working to make all our aircraft 100 per cent SAF-capable by 2030,” Julie Kitcher, Airbus executive vice president of communications and corporate affairs, said in a statement.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Match info
Bournemouth 1 (King 45 1')
Arsenal 2 (Lerma 30' og, Aubameyang 67')
Man of the Match: Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal)
Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGrowdash%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJuly%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESean%20Trevaskis%20and%20Enver%20Sorkun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERestaurant%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20Judah%20VC%2C%20TPN%20Investments%20and%20angel%20investors%2C%20including%20former%20Talabat%20chief%20executive%20Abdulhamid%20Alomar%2C%20and%20entrepreneur%20Zeid%20Husban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
