The first flight in UK airspace of an aircraft completely powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has been successfully completed.
The test flight was a joint endeavour between the Royal Air Force (RAF), aerospace giant Airbus, along with other industry partners, such as engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.
A military variant of the Airbus A330 commercial jetliner, both engines of which used 100% SAF made from cooking oil, took off from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, on Wednesday (November 16).
The 90-minute return flight - a world first for an in-service military transporter - was flown by a combined Airbus, RAF and Rolls-Royce flight-test crew. An air-to-air refuelling sortie was replicated during the journey, which was witnessed by senior RAF and industry representatives.
Airbus, which has UK sites in Filton, South Gloucestershire, Broughton, North Wales, and a helicopter business based at Oxford Airport, said the trial could pave the way for “a range of possibilities” for the future of flying military aircraft.
The firm said SAF could reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to the conventional fuel, lessen the RAF’s reliance on global supply chains and reduce the necessity for fuel resupplying.
Michael Schoellhorn, chief executive of Airbus’ defence and space division, said: “True to our purpose of 'pioneering aerospace', we have gladly supported the RAF on this landmark sustainable-fuel test flight.
“I commend our UK customer for this achievement which helps pave the way for a sustainable reduction of carbon emissions of our military aircraft fleets. Airbus engineers have made a significant contribution to this RAF mission by providing on-the-ground expertise in recent weeks and securing the necessary MoD military flight permits.”
Jesus Ruiz, the captain of the flight aboard the RAF Voyager, said: “From the crew perspective, the SAF operation was ‘transparent’, meaning that no differences were observed operationally. The test plan was exhaustive and robust and has allowed us to compare SAF with JET1 culminating in a flight without a single drop of fossil fuel.
“Teamwork was a key contributor, harmonsing experience from Airbus, Rolls-Royce and the RAF. We feel very proud to be a small part of this huge step for sustainable aviation.”
Alex Zino, executive vice president of business development and future programmes at Rolls-Royce, said the flight demonstrated what could be achieved through "effective collaboration" between industry and armed forces. He added: "I am delighted to see that those partnerships have enabled this achievement to take place.”
The MoD's defence equipment and support agency and British aircraft leasing company AirTanker also participated in the trial, while Air bp supplied the fuel.
The RAF is aiming to become the first net-zero carbon emissions air force by 2040, while Airbus has the ambition to develop the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.
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