Airbus: First A380 Powered by 100% SAF Takes to the Skies
Airbus has performed a first A380 flight powered by 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Airbus’ A380 test aircraft MSN 1 took off from Blagnac Airport, Toulouse, France at 08h43 on March 25. The flight lasted about three hours, operating one Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on 100 percent SAF.
Twenty-seven metric tons of unblended SAF were provided by TotalEnergies for this flight. The SAF produced in Normandy, close to Le Havre, France, was made from hydroprocessed esters and fatty aids (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, is scheduled to take place from Toulouse to Nice Airport, on the March 29 to test the use of SAF during take-off and landing.