Royal Air Force Successfully Flies First Military Flight On 100% Eco Fuel

Soon, the skies will be more eco-friendly, as the Royal Air Force and Airbus have announced they have successfully completed the world’s first 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) flight on an in-service military aircraft. 

Incredibly, not only is it a first for the military, but it is also the first time a flight entirely running on SAF has been carried out within United Kingdom’s airspace. 

The plane, a variant of the commercial Airbus A330, lifted off and flew among the clouds above RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, while both its engines were powered completely by sustainable fuel. 

This feat, which used fuel made from waste-based feedstocks, such as cooking oil, could pave the way for the future of military aircraft, which is now looking in the same environmentally-friendly direction as its commercial counterparts. 

Apart from reducing the fleet’s lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80%, the switch to SAF could help lessen the RAF’s reliance on global supply chains, reducing the need for large amounts of traditional fuel to sustain operations.

Jesus Ruiz, Captain of the flight, said that he had observed “no differences” when flying the SAF-powered plane as opposed to a regular one. The 90-minute return flight even included an air-to-air refueling test.

“True to our purpose of ‘pioneering aerospace’, we have gladly supported the Royal Air Force on this landmark sustainable-fuel test flight. I commend our UK customer for this achievement which helps pave the way for sustainable reduction of carbon emissions of our military aircraft fleets,” quipped Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. 

[via New Atlas and Airbus, cover image via Airbus / MoD Crown copyright]