Wizz Air has announced that it will engage in trial operations using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in collaboration with Airbus. The initiative comes with the impending RefuelEU aviation regulations that are expected to take effect in 2025.
RefuelEU requires aviation fuel suppliers to make a minimum share of blended SAF available at selected airports and increase the blend gradually, as well as requiring airlines within the EU to refuel with 90 per cent of fuel needs from the airports.
“This cross-industry collaboration with Airbus is a demonstration of the commitment of the aviation community to reduce emissions intensity,” said Yvonne Moynihan, Wizz Air’s Corporate and ESG Officer. “It’s crucial for all actors in the aviation ecosystem to play their part and join forces to reach the industry goal of net zero by 2050. SAF is a key enabler and that is why Wizz Air supports this pioneering EU policy and has made significant strategic investments into SAF as a result.
“As a proud EU airline, celebrating 20 years of transformative travel this year, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and leading the industry by example with our goal of having 10% of our flights powered by SAF by 2030,” Moynihan continued. “Through this project, we are not only testing SAF operations but also gathering insights from our passengers on their awareness of levers to decarbonise aviation. Our valued passengers are key stakeholders in the value chain, and their feedback will play a crucial role in shaping our future sustainability initiatives.”
The end of 2024 trials will use flights from Barcelona to Budapest and Brussels Charleroi to Budapest to test the SAF flights, with SAF fuel to be provided by Cepsa and distributed by World Fuel Services. Wizz Air will use a 5-10% SAF blend during these trials.
“At Airbus, we are committed to driving the adoption of SAF as an essential element of our decarbonisation strategy,” commented Julie Kitcher, Airbus’ Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications. “Fuel-efficient aircraft and SAF will provide the majority of the emissions reductions our industry needs to make by 2050, which is why working together – with partners like Wizz Air – to efficiently integrate SAF across airline operations is such an important step to be taking today.”
Airbus’s role will be to support the airline with technical guidance to ensure the efficiency of SAF integration into its operations. Through these trials, Wizz Air will be leveraging the fuel efficiency of the A321neo.
To engage with the passenger perspective of SAF, Wizz Air will also conduct surveys during the trial, where customers can give feedback on their understanding of aviation sustainability initiatives. The results will be released to the airline’s newsletter recipients and made publicly available.
Photo: Wizz Air