Emirates launches flights using sustainable aviation fuel supplied by Shell Aviation in Dubai

The first Emirates Flights operating on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provided by Shell Aviation have taken off from Dubai International Airport (DXB). EmiratesFlight EK 412 bound for Sydney on 24 October was one of the first to operate with SAF.

Shell has supplied 315,000 gallons of blended SAF for use at the airline’s hub in Dubai. This first SAF supply to Emirates in Dubai has allowed the airline to drive a series of missions over the course of recent weeks.

The blended SAF supplied by Shell in the DXB airport fueling system was composed of a proportion of 40% pure SAF and 60% conventional Jet A-1 fuel. The chemical characteristics at this ratio are identical to conventional jet fuel and can be seamlessly integrated into the existing airport fuel infrastructure, as well as the engines of the entire Emirates fleet, without the need for modifications.

In its ordered form, SAF reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent* over its life cycle compared to conventional jet fuel. Emirates has also been tracking the delivery, usage and environmental benefits of SAF through Avelia, Shell Aviation’s blockchain-based claims and ledger solution.

Sir Tim Clark, Chairman of Emirates Airline saying:

“We are moving forward with proactive measures to enable more sustainable flights now and in the future, and boosting flights from our Dubai hub is just one of the steps we have taken to reduce emissions and concretely help our customers minimize their own footprint. carbon. . We still have a long way to go and we hope that our partnership with Shell Aviation will inspire more producers to address supply gaps and make SAF available in major hubs such as Dubai, as well as elsewhere in our network.”

Jan Toschka, president of Shell Aviationsaying:

“Emirates and Shell have a long history of collaboration and we are delighted to continue this journey together to enable the use of SAF in the UAE. This first SAF supply to Emirates in Dubai is an example of what can be achieved when different parts of the aviation value chain come together. Our hope is that this milestone inspires further progress in the adoption of SAF across the aviation industry in the UAE and the wider region.”

At the beginning of this year, Emirates and Shell signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore areas of collaboration around sustainable travel and technology-driven travel experiences. Emirates and Shell have agreed to jointly evaluate mechanisms to reduce emissions from Shell’s business travel, and the airline is currently using the Avelia platform to enable transparent tracking of SAF’s environmental benefits for its customers. They will also explore ways to improve the travel experience by offering personalized products relevant to today’s corporate travelers through new technologies, including New Distribution Capabilities (NDC). Emirates’ development of these new NDC options provides Shell with the opportunity to be an early adopter of this technology.

Emirates‘Long-standing efforts have been and continue to be rooted in tangible and meaningful actions in three focus areas that form its environmental framework: reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and preserving wildlife and habitats. This year, the airline announced the establishment of a $200 million fund for research and development (R&D) projects focused on reducing the impact of fossil fuels on commercial aviation, representing one of the largest single commitments of any airline in terms of sustainability. Over the next three years, Emirates will identify partnerships with leading organizations working on solutions in advanced fuel and energy technologies.

Emirates operated the region’s first 100% SAF-powered demonstration flight in January. The airline has been actively advocating to strengthen the body of research around the industry’s understanding of the use of SAF in premium blends, its performance, safety and reliability, supporting standardization and future certification of 100% SAF, which is currently It is not yet approved for regular commercial use. .

The airline first began using SAF in 2017, when it increased it on one flight from Chicago, and since then, flights from Stockholm, Paris, Lyon and Oslo have also operated with combined SAF.

Emirates participates in a variety of UAE government and industry working groups, along with ongoing engagements with stakeholders to help scale the production and supply of sustainable aviation fuel.

News source: Dubai Press Office