MALAYSIA Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia, today operated its inaugural flight using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in partnership with Petronas Dagangan Bhd (PDB) and Neste.
The flight marks Malaysia Airlines’ commitment to make SAF the cleaner and more viable energy option for its regular flights by 2025.
Using a blend mixture of about 38% SAF made from used cooking oil and conventional jet fuel, the historic flight MH7979 which utilised the Airbus 330-200 aircraft departed Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at 12.55pm local time and arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 9.00am local time.
This successful operation was a result of the supply deal between PETCO Trading (UK) Ltd which is PETRONAS’ marketing and trading arm in Europe and Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and SAF refined from waste and residues.
SAF is recognised globally as the most feasible option to reduce aviation emissions in the near term. Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM is produced from sustainably-sourced, 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste.
In its neat form, and over the life cycle, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel use.
Malaysia Airlines via its parent, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), recently partnered with Petronas Dagangan to jointly explore potential collaborative opportunities that advance sustainability, including the supply and adoption of SAF at KLIA.
They also aim to strengthen awareness in aviation sustainability through a united communication and advocacy strategy around carbon emission reduction.
In addition to using sustainable aviation fuel, preparations for this flight were done with GE Digital’s FlightPulse and Fuel Insight software that assists the flight crew in planning for efficient fuel procedures during the flight.
The data logged during the flight will be processed and analyzed to help the Operations team better understand the opportunities to operate a more sustainable flight.
“Building on the momentum from our net zero emissions commitment earlier this year, we are proud to have crossed the significant landmark of operating the first Malaysian flight using SAF,” commented MAG’s group CEO Izham Ismail.
“Moving forward, we expect SAF to be a key component of our strategy to deliver a more sustainable travel experience for our customers.” – Dec 17, 2021
