Ryanair extends Trinity College Dublin partnership to 2030, donates more funding to SAF research

From left, Thomas Fowler, Ryanair; Sinead Ryan, Trinity College Dublin; and Steven Fitzgerald, Ryanair (Photo: Ryanair)

European airline Ryanair announced May 9 the extension of its partnership with Trinity College Dublin out to the end of the decade as the airline makes a further donation of 2.5 million euros (USD$2.7 million) to fund the Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre. This brings Ryanair’s total donation to Trinity College Dublin to 4 million euros (USD$4.3 million).

Underpinned by an initial 1.5-million-euro (USD$1.6 million) donation from Ryanair, Research at the Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre started in Sept 2021 addressing the complex challenge of progressing sustainable aviation.

With Ryanair’s extended funding, the multidisciplinary research team will continue to focus on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and zero-carbon aircraft-propulsion systems as well as expanding the scope of the research to examine aviation’s non-CO2 emissions.

Over the past three years, the Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre has made significant research developments in the following core areas:

• Examining the sustainability of different SAF types.

• Reducing the cost to certify new SAF candidates.

• Evaluating the operating impact of zero-carbon aircraft propulsion and noise mapping.

Results of this research, which have been presented at the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, show that the emission intensity of a passenger traveling on a Boeing 737-800 NG flight from Amsterdam to Dublin can be reduced by 43 percent by using a 50 percent SAF blend.

This could be further reduced by using Ryanair’s ‘Gamechanger’ Boeing 737-8200, which is 16 percent more fuel efficient than the 737-800 NG.

“Progressing towards our ambitious sustainability goals of net zero by 2050 and 12.5 percent SAF by 2030 will not be possible without continued support for the best-in-class research that is being done by the Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre at Trinity College Dublin,” said Thomas Fowler, Ryanair’s director of sustainability. “Expanding out the research to better understand the non-CO2 impacts from aviation is an important next step to lead our industry towards more sustainable aviation.”

Linda Doyle, provost and president of Trinity College Dublin, added, “Research must be central to combating climate change and promoting sustainable transport. Trinity is now recognized as the 14th-best university in the world in delivering the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and has become a go-to international destination for sustainable aviation research. I want to thank Ryanair for their support. It is good news for the researchers in the center and for the students who will benefit from the teaching arising from the research.” 

Sinéad Ryan, dean of research at Trinity College Dublin, said, “Advancing sustainable aviation presents a complex challenge, which requires the multidisciplinary approach we take here in Trinity. Ryanair’s continued support will help to ensure ongoing and new research projects deliver a number of improvements and innovations, as well as supporting interactions with regulators, policymakers and aircraft manufacturers in the pursuit of more economically and environmentally sustainable commercial aviation.”