On June 21, the plane manufacturer ATR, in collaboration with the Swedish company Braathens and the refiner Neste, carried out a test flight by operating an ATR 72 for the first time, carrying 100% sustainable aviation fuel (or SAF, for Sustainable Aviation Fuel). This flight took place in Sweden and is part of the 100% SAF certification of ATRs, a process initiated in September 2021 in cooperation with Braathens and Neste, which should be completed by 2025.
This flight complements a series of ground and flight tests carried out on the ATR 72-600 prototype since the beginning of 2022, including flights with 100% SAF in one engine. The June 21 flight was the first to perform 100% SAF in both engines. Cyril Cizabuiroz, ATR chief pilot, Jean-Pierre Marre, co-pilot, and Pascal Daussin, a test mechanic, flew the plane from the Swedish company Braathens located in Malmö, a coastal city in southern Sweden, to Bromma, near Stockholm, in 1 hour 20 minutes. The results of today’s flight will be analyzed and released later. Swedavia transported the SAF to the aircraft at Malmö airport and Pratt&Whitney worked closely with ATR and Braathens.
On May 16, 2019, ATR, Braathens and Neste inaugurated their SAF partnership by operating the “perfect flight”, which carried 50% of sustainable aviation fuel and applied all the techniques to limit CO2 emissions.
Up to 80% less CO2 emitted
Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel, when used in pure form, at 100% concentration as in this test flight, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% over its entire life cycle compared to the use of fossil fuels. Apart from the benefits of reducing CO2 emissions, it offers other advantages, including a significant reduction in particulate emissions. As a “drop-in” fuel, it is compatible with the engines of existing aircraft and current airport fuel infrastructure.