Bio fuels : Malaysia Airlines flies the first flight in Malaysia using Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia, today operated its inaugural flight using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in partnership with PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) and Neste. The flight marks Malaysia Airlines’ commitment to make SAF the cleaner and more viable energy option for regular flights by 2025.

The historic flight MH7979 utilizing the Airbus 330-200 aircraft departed Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at 12:55 pm local time using a blend mixture of approximately 38% SAF made e.g. from used cooking oil, and conventional jet fuel, and arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 09.00 am local time.

This successful operation was a result of the supply deal between PETCO Trading (UK) Ltd, which is PETRONAS’ marketing and trading arm in Europe, and Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and SAF refined from waste and residues.

SAF is recognized globally as the most feasible option to significantly reduce aviation emissions in the near term. Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM is produced from sustainably-sourced, 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. In its neat form, and over the life cycle, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%* compared to fossil jet fuel use.

Malaysia Airlines via its parent, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), recently partnered with PDB to jointly explore potential collaborative opportunities that advance sustainability, including the supply and adoption of SAF at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). They also aim to strengthen awareness in aviation sustainability through a united communication and advocacy strategy around carbon emission reduction.

In addition to using sustainable aviation fuel, preparations for this flight were done with GE Digital’s FlightPulse® and Fuel Insight software that assisted the flight crew in planning for efficient fuel procedures during the flight. The data logged during the flight will be processed and analyzed to help the Operations team better understand the opportunities to operate a more sustainable flight.