Airbus and Royal Air Force achieve sustainable aviation fuel milestone
The partners conducted a 90-minute flight with the A330MRTT and replicated an air-to-air refuelling sortie. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)
The Royal Air Force, Airbus and other industry partners have conducted the UK’s first ever 100% sustainable aviation fuel flight, replicating an air-to-air refuelling sortie.
The RAF and Airbus have carried out the UK’s first 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) flight, using an RAF A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT).
The flight, conducted in the middle of November, was a joint endeavour between the RAF, Airbus, the UK MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support agency, aircraft leasing company AirTanker and engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, with fuel supplied by Air bp.
The partners conducted a 90-minute flight from RAF Brize Norton. The Voyager was flown by a combined Airbus, RAF and Rolls-Royce flight crew and replicated an air-to-air refuelling sortie.
The MoD noted in an 18 November statement that sustainable aviation fuel – made from waste-based feedstocks, such as used cooking oil – reduces lifecycle carbon emissions on average by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.
‘Different approaches will suit different platforms and environments. As such, a range of alternative fuel options are being looked at to ensure the UK is at the forefront of this developing technology,’ the MoD added.
Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn added: ‘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.’
The event marked the first 100% SAF flight of any aircraft type in UK airspace.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age]()
October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age
Israel’s $1 billion Apache helicopter order highlights the continued demand for crewed attack aviation, while growing integration with uncrewed systems could shape future modernisation and procurement decisions.
-
![Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence]()
Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence
The rise of drones has reshaped the threat landscape for all European militaries. For industry, future defensive strategies must carefully balance a mix of passive and active measures to address the evolving danger, based around a highly integrated and responsive network of sensors and effectors.
-
![October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges]()
October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges
Recent procurement developments in France and Lithuania highlight the growing demand for loitering munitions, with global annual spending forecast to increase nearly 50-fold between 2020 and 2029.
-
![Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up]()
Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up
Quantum Systems’s Ukraine-made interceptor SPYS is thought to cost approximately 10 times less than Russia's jet-powered uncrewed aerial systems and is being produced at scale.
