China’s commercial aircraft successfully complete demonstration flights using sustainable fuel

An ARJ21 regional aircraft and a C919 passenger aircraft successfully completed their first demonstration flights using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Shanghai and Dongying, respectively, on Wednesday, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

COMAC stated that the demonstration flights highlighted the excellent flight performance of these Chinese commercial aircraft.

SAF, a liquid aviation fuel alternative to traditional jet fuel, is made from renewable materials and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% over its life cycle compared to conventional jet fuel. The application of SAF is a crucial step for the global civil aviation industry to combat global warming and lower carbon emissions.

To date, several Chinese airlines have conducted commercial test flights using domestically produced SAF, with numerous domestic enterprises and institutes involved in its research, development, and production.

The SAF used in these demonstration flights is derived from waste oil from meals, recycled and processed in China’s first bio-aviation fuel industrial plant built by Sinopec, and converted into bio-jet fuel.

COMAC added that the SAF they used received airworthiness approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in February of this year.