Dubai’s Emirates becomes world’s first to operate an A380 test flight using 100% SAF

The flight was powered by 100% SAF in one of four engines to test performance

Dubai airline Emirates completed an Airbus A380 demonstration flight last week using 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), making it the first airline in the world to do so.

WHAT WAS THE FUEL USED?

The 100% drop-in SAF used on today’s flight includes renewable aromatics and closely mimics the characteristics of conventional jet fuel. This is the first time that drop-in SAF has been used on an A380 aircraft, with the expectation of full compatibility across the aircraft’s existing systems.

The flight carried four tonnes of SAF, comprised of HEFA-SPK provided by Neste (hydro processed esters and fatty acids synthetic paraffinic kerosene) and HDO-SAK from Virent (hydro deoxygenated synthetic aromatic kerosene).

ENOC helped to secure the neat SAF comprised of HEFA-SPK, and blended it with Sustainable Aviation Kerosene (SAK) at its facility in Dubai International Airport ahead of the demonstration, and also carried out into-plane services.

According to Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer of Emirates Airline, the test flight conducted today paves the way for future standardization, qualification and adoption for 100 per cent SAF flying.

He said, “Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate an A380 with 100 per cent drop-in SAF (sustainable fuel blended with conventional fuel) powering one of four Engine Alliance GP7200 engines.”

Al Redha said the test also marks a significant step in validating the use of SAF in one of the engines of the A380, a wide-body aircraft with four engines.

This is the first time drop-in SAF (sustainable fuel blended with conventional fuel) has been used on an A380 aircraft, with the expectation of full compatibility across the aircraft’s existing systems.

Large-scale manufacturing

Al Redha said, “Now that we have completed this test, the next step would be to ensure the availability of the fuel in various airports. We rely on fuel suppliers to start manufacturing and producing such fuel in the required volume, and that will be the challenge.”

The growing global demand for lower-emission jet fuel alternatives is there, said Al Redha. “However, the work of producers and suppliers to commercialize SAF and make it available will be critical in the coming years,” he explained. This will help Emirates and the wider industry advance the path to cutting emissions.

Earlier this year, Emirates completed the first 100 per cent SAF-powered demonstration flight in the region on a GE90-powered Boeing 777-300ER, and last month, the first Emirates flights operating with SAF provided by Shell Aviation took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB). Shell supplied 315,000 gallons of blended SAF for use at the airline’s hub in Dubai.

The airline recently expanded its partnership with Neste to supply over 3 million gallons of blended SAF in 2024 and 2025 for flights departing from Amsterdam Schiphol and Singapore Changi airports. Emirates currently uplifts SAF in Norway and France.

The test flight also comes against a backdrop of the third International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3), where members of the aviation industry, international organisations, regulatory bodies and high-level officials are driving policy-related decisions related to the adoption of SAF.