22-06-2022

First flight in history with 100% sustainable aviation fuel on a regional commercial aircraft

Today, regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, Swedish airline Braathens Regional Airlines and sustainable aviation fuel supplier Neste collaborated to enable the first ever 100% SAF-powered test flight on a commercial regional aircraft. The test flight further supports aviation’s decarbonisation targets and acceleration of SAF certification. When used in neat form Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions over its life cycle by up to 80%* compared to fossil jet fuel use.

This historic test flight took place in Sweden and is part of the 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) certification process of ATR aircraft that started in September 2021 in cooperation with Braathens and Neste and should be completed by 2025. It has been the latest in a series of successful ground and flight tests on the ATR 72-600 prototype aircraft performed at the beginning of 2022, including flights with 100% SAF in one engine, and today was the first time it was done with 100% SAF in two engines.

Achieving the milestone was also made possible by Swedavia enabling the SAF to be uplifted to the ATR aircraft at Malmö airport and Pratt & Whitney, closely working together with ATR and Braathens in the preparations of this milestone flight.

Today’s flight is proof that speeding up the transition to net-zero carbon emissions can only be achieved when all stakeholders within aviation work closely together. It is a milestone not just for Sweden but globally showing that the technology is available and has significant benefits to aviation, today and in the future.

Chief ATR pilot Cyril Cizabuiroz, Jean-Marie Marre, co-pilot, and Pascal Daussin, Flight Test Mechanic, flew the Braathens’ aircraft from Malmö a coastal city in southern Sweden to Bromma near Stockholm, which took around 1 hour and 20 minutes. The results of today’s flight will be analyzed and released at a later date.