With its maiden flight today, a total of 42 easyJet flights operate from Gatwick Airport on a blend of 30% Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™. This is a major milestone and marks the first time a departing flight from Gatwick has used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and it is also the first time for an easyJet flight. It confirms the commitment of all parties involved – the international aviation fuel supplier Q8Aviation, easyJet, Gatwick Airport Ltd and Neste – to reduce net emissions from aviation fuel and move towards the ultimate aviation target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Of the 42 flights that will use Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel, 39 are easyJet flights from Gatwick to Glasgow during the COP26 climate conference, which will be held from October 31 to November 12. Collectively, all 42 flights result in a reduction of up to 70 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This is a further signal of the aviation industry's intentions to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the road to 'net zero' emissions by 2050.
“The aviation industry has already taken important steps to reduce its impact on the environment. An important means of achieving this is the wider adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Neste is currently investing in increasing SAF production capacity from 100.000 metric tons to 1,5 million metric tons per year by 2023. Neste welcomes government proposals to boost the use of SAF to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation to decrease. It is important that more and more airlines, airports and fuel suppliers lead the way towards a more sustainable future for aviation. We are pleased that easyJet, Q8Aviation and Gatwick Airport are among these leaders."
Q8Aviation has made the first delivery of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to the fuel supply at Gatwick Airport. Neste's sustainable aviation fuel, which is fully certified, is produced for 100% from renewable and sustainable waste and residual materials, such as used frying fat and animal fat waste. In its pure form and over the entire lifecycle, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to using fossil jet fuel (Calculated using proven LCA life cycle assessment methodologies including EU RED and CORSIA).
“We are pleased to play a part in supplying the first sustainable aviation fuel to easyJet at Gatwick. We have built a strong partnership with easyJet over many years and benefit from the excellent support from Gatwick Airport Ltd and Neste and look forward to working closely with all partners to further develop our sustainability goals.”
The door Next SAF produced is blended with Jet A-1 fuel at a depot at Gatwick Airport to create a “drop-in” fuel that is compatible with existing aircraft engines and airport infrastructure, without the need for additional investment. Q8Aviation supplied the fuel to the main storage tanks at Gatwick Airport for delivery to the easyJet aircraft through the airport's hydrant system.
“At easyjet, we want to play our part in leading the decarbonisation of aviation. We are pleased to announce that as of today we will be using SAF on a proof of concept flight from Gatwick and have committed to use a SAF blend on all flights from Gatwick to Glasgow during COP26, thanks to the joint efforts with our partners in this project. The availability of SAF should grow but it is an important interim solution on our decarbonisation path, as we support the development of zero-emission aircraft. In the long run, that will be the most sustainable solution for short-haul networks like ours. In the meantime, we operate our flights as efficiently as possible and are currently the only major European airline to offset the carbon emissions from the fuel used on all flights. That has a direct impact at the moment.”
Using SAF in Gatwick's operations for today's flights is an important test for the airport to demonstrate their continued commitment to decarbonisation in conjunction with partners. Gatwick's own carbon footprint shows that they are already halfway to the 'net zero' target for their own operations and their target of 'net zero' direct emissions by 2040.
“We are delighted to be working with easyJet, Q8Aviation and Neste to showcase SAF use at Gatwick Airport. SAF is one of the ways UK aviation and Gatwick can decarbonise by 2050, alongside carbon offsetting, airspace modernization and continued innovation in aerospace technology, including electric, hydrogen and hybrid aircraft systems. With smart government policies to support investment in cost-competitive SAF production in the UK, many more flights could use UK-produced SAF by 2. Achieving net zero emissions by 2025 is both a major challenge and an opportunity for our industry. The decarbonisation roadmap for sustainable aviation and the interim targets set clear milestones and as Gatwick we are ready to play our part by implementing the milestones for the next decade and incorporating additional technology solutions for the 2050s into the roadmap.” .
