Thai Airways operates its 1st flight with sustainable aviation fuel

Photo: PTT

Thai Airways, the flag carrier airline of Thailand, operated its first flight using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ Dec. 13.

A Thai Airways Boeing 777 was refueled with blended SAF at Phuket Airport in Thailand for the return flight to Bangkok International Airport.

The blended SAF was supplied by PTT, a Thai oil and gas company, in collaboration with Petco Trading Labuan Company Ltd., the marketing and trading arm of Petronas, a Malaysian energy group.

On Nov. 27, Thai Airways it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with PTT’s oil and retail business OR on the use of SAF for pilot flights and future cooperation.

According to Thai Airways, the MOU was executed in order to encourage the progress of studies and production of SAF among organizations involved.

Sustainable aviation fuel is a key lever to reduce emissions of air travel.

This first flight, resulting from collaboration between the companies involved, illustrates Thai Airways’ commitment to achieving the aviation industry’s 2050 net-zero carbon-emissions goal.

A local event at Phuket Airport also involving stakeholders such as Airports of Thailand and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand marked this milestone for the airline.

“We are excited that Thai Airways used our Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel for its first flight with SAF,” said Sami Jauhiainen, an executive with Neste.

“The aviation industry is committed to ambitious climate targets, and sustainable aviation fuel plays a crucial role in reaching those goals,” Jauhiainen continued. “Neste is working together with partners such as PTT and Petco Trading to increase the availability and use of SAF, and we look forward to further growing the supply of SAF in the Asia-Pacific region.”