On June 10, 2024, results from the first in-flight study analyzing the impact of using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on commercial aircraft were released.
This study—part of the ECLIF3 program—involved collaboration between Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and SAF producer Neste.
The study utilized an Airbus A350 with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines and a DLR chase plane to measure emissions. Compared to conventional Jet A-1 fuel, using 100% SAF resulted in a 56% reduction in the number of ice crystals per mass, which could significantly lower the climate impact of contrails.
Global climate simulations by DLR estimated that contrails’ radiative forcing was reduced by at least 26% using 100% SAF. This indicates that SAF can notably decrease aviation’s climate impact in the short term by cutting down non-CO2 emissions, alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the fuel lifecycle.
The findings were published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics and represent the first in-situ evidence supporting SAF’s potential to mitigate climate impact when used in commercial aviation. The research was bolstered by the participation of additional experts from the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Manchester, who conducted flight and ground tests in 2021.
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