As part of its presence at the Singapore Airshow, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus will fly its latest generation A350-1000 widebody aircraft, which will be powered with a 35% blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supplied by Shell Aviation and certified via the European Union’s International Sustainability and Carbon Certification requirements.

The SAF component of the aircraft’s fuel was produced via the HEFA-SPK pathway from feedstock of used cooking oil and tallow. On average, SAF, according to Airbus, can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 80% compared with traditional jet fuel, and this reduction is crucial to the industry’s progress towards decarbonization.

The key to SAF's impact comes from its life cycle. When burned, SAF still produces emissions similar to those emitted by fossil fuels. But unlike conventional jet fuels, which take fossil resources out of the ground and release previously stored carbon into the atmosphere, SAF primarily uses carbon that is part of the current carbon cycle in various feedstocks. This means that the CO2 emitted during an aircraft’s flight is re-absorbed by the biomass used in SAF production.

All Airbus aircraft are already able to operate with up to 50% SAF. Airbus aims for all its aircraft to be capable of operating with up to 100% SAF by 2030.

Cited as Asia’s most influential airshow, the event plays host to high-level government and military delegations, as well as senior airline industry executives. A number of significant deals are expected to be announced in the commercial airline, international aerospace and defence markets.