Australia’s 1st SAF-fueled helicopter flight takes off

The helicopter landing at Moorabbin Airport in Australia (Photo: Airbus)

Neste Corp., Airbus, Safran Engines and Microflite, a leading Australian helicopter operator, have jointly operated Australia’s first helicopter flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

On this demonstration flight, an Airbus H130 helicopter powered by a Safran Arriel 2D engine used blended SAF supplied by Neste.

SAF provides a more sustainable, renewable alternative to conventional, fossil-based jet fuel.

The Feb. 28 flight using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ demonstrates that SAF is a solution available today to significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions of air travel.

The helicopter, fueled with a 40/60 blend of SAF with conventional jet fuel, took off from Moorabbin Airport near Melbourne and is expected to fly for a total of 60 minutes over the next few days.

Witnessing the SAF demonstration-flight launch at the Avalon Airshow, Catherine King, the minister of infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government of Australia, said, “Sustainable aviation fuels represent a tangible opportunity for the aviation sector to cut its emissions in the short to medium term and it is encouraging to see that happening first hand. Our Jet Zero council will work with industry so that we can see more initiatives like this across Australia.”

Rodney Higgins, chief operating officer with Microflite, said, “As a young and dynamic aviation company with a strong vision to lead excellence in sustainable aviation, we have a fleet of over 20 aircraft conducting passenger, aerial work, and emergency-services operations. Our 10-year strategy is to transition our entire fleet to either SAF or electrically powered flight. This Australian-first use of SAF in a rotary-wing aircraft has been achieved through a collaboration with our valued industry partners, and Microflite is proud of the commitment from Airbus, Safran and Neste to join us in leading a sustainable aviation industry.”

Sami Jauhiainen, an executive with Neste, added, “We are pleased to support Airbus, Safran and Microflite on this demonstration flight with the first-ever delivery of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to Australia. The fuel was delivered to Avalon with the support of our partner, Itochu Corp. With the expansion of our Singapore refinery starting operations at the end of the first quarter this year, we will be able to produce up to 1 million tons of SAF annually, ready to support the aviation industry with its emission-reduction targets in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.”

Stephen Forshaw, Airbus’ chief representative for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, said, “The use of SAF is one of Airbus’ levers to reduce carbon emissions, and we are proud to have achieved this milestone SAF flight with longstanding partners Safran and Microflite. This demonstration flight underscores Airbus’ commitment to help our customers achieve more sustainable operations. It is an important step in our journey towards decarbonization, as we join like-minded industry partners for a wider adoption of SAF in flights.”

Cedric Jochum, managing director of Safran Helicopter Engines Australia, commented, “This is an important step in our roadmap for the large-scale deployment of SAF. Safran Helicopter Engines turbine range is already certified to run on 50 percent SAF and our team is working to certify operations with 100 percent SAF. When a 100 percent incorporation level is achieved, SAF offers a reduction in CO2e emissions of up to 80 percent.”