DUBAI- UAE’s flag carrier Emirates Airlines (EK) has started using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) under a fuel agreement with Neste for flights departing from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), marking its first SAF investment in Asia.
Around 3.3 million liters of blended SAF have been added to Changi airport’s fuelling system in recent weeks.
Emirates Singapore SAF Flights
Emirates is monitoring the delivery of SAF into the fuelling systems, tracking and assigning its environmental benefits using standard industry methods.
Earlier this year, the airline partnered with Neste to supply 2.6 million liters of neat SAF to Amsterdam Schiphol airport’s (AMS) fuelling systems.
The SAF provided by Neste is made from sustainably sourced, 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste.
This SAF can be safely used in existing Emirates aircraft and airport fuelling infrastructure, and in its neat form, it reduces lifecycle carbon emissions (CO2) by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.
Executive Remarks
Adel Al Redha, Deputy President and Chief Operations Officer of Emirates, stated: “Our investment in Neste-produced SAF in Singapore marks our initial step towards adopting SAF in Asia, a region poised to become a key supplier of SAF, which remains in limited supply. This agreement is a significant milestone in our SAF journey in a new region, but much work remains. While we secure SAF for the short term, we are also focusing on long-term agreements to ensure a steady supply for our operations.”
Alexander Kueper, Vice President of Renewable Aviation Business at Neste, expressed: “We are thrilled that Emirates has started using our Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Changi Airport, marking a new phase in our cooperation. Emirates is now the first international carrier using SAF at the airport, produced at our Singapore refinery and supplied through our integrated supply chain. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to increase the supply of SAF for Emirates’ operations.”
Emirates’ comprehensive SAF strategy includes exploring opportunities to use SAF operationally wherever available in its network, sharing emissions reductions with corporate customers or freight forwarders where feasible, collaborating on long-term SAF projects with reputable partners, and supporting SAF ventures in the UAE with the potential to supply sustainable aviation fuel at its hub in the future.
Current SAF Flights Locations
Emirates currently operates flights using SAF from Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Paris, Lyon, and Oslo. The airline also integrated SAF into the fuelling systems at its Dubai hub late last year.
In 2023, Emirates became the first airline globally to conduct two landmark demonstration flights from Dubai on the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380, using 100% SAF in one engine. This was done in partnership with Neste and other dedicated partners to support future certification for 100% drop-in SAF in commercial airline operations.
Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel.
The airline has committed USD 200 million to research and development (R&D) projects aimed at reducing the impact of fossil fuels in commercial aviation. Additionally, Emirates recently became an industrial partner of the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) at the University of Cambridge.
Gulf carrier plans to actively contribute its knowledge, data, and insights to AIA to help develop advanced tools and solutions for minimizing the long-term impact of commercial aviation.
Emirates is a member of the Solent Cluster in the UK, an initiative focused on low-carbon investments, with the potential to create an SAF plant capable of producing up to 200,000 tonnes per year by 2032.
Emirates is also a founding participant of the UAE research consortium Air-CRAFT, which is focused on developing, producing, and scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies for the industry.
*When used in neat form (i.e., unblended) and calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology.
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