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Singapore Airlines is doing its part to reduce carbon emissions from its aircraft. This week, the carrier announced that it’s teamed up with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and San Francisco Airport (SFO) to operate 12 nonstop flights between SIN and SFO over the course of three months with reduced carbon emissions, thanks to using a blend of sustainable biofuel and conventional jet fuel to power the aircraft.
The route is operated by one of the carrier’s A350-900 aircraft, which is one of Singapore’s most fuel-efficient aircraft in the sky. The first of the 12 biofuel-powered flights was Singapore Flight 31 from SFO to SIN, departing SFO at 11:21am PT yesterday with 206 passengers on board. The rest of the 11 biofuel-powered flights will operate weekly.
This move is part of a “green package,” which uses sustainable biofuels, the latest-generation aircraft and optimized flight operations to reduce carbon emissions. These select frequencies of SQ Flight 31 are fueled by a combination of Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), a biofuel produced by cooking oils, and conventional jet fuel. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), believes this biofuel is a sustainable long-term solution to reduce carbon emissions from aircraft.
Singapore is operating these flights in an effort to raise awareness in the island country for biofuels and to provide experience on the performance and logistics to stakeholders of the industry. In the long term, the airline said in a press release that it hopes to see sustainable biofuels used for aviation around the country.
This isn’t Singapore Airlines’ first move toward a more environmentally friendly operation. In 2010, the carrier participated in the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE) program on a demonstration route from Los Angeles (LAX) to Singapore (SIN) via Tokyo, resulting in a fuel savings of 6%. Then, in 2011, the carrier launched regular green flights on its route between LAX and SIN under the ASPIRE program before expanding its efforts in 2016 to on routes between SIN and other destinations in the Southwest Pacific.
Source: thepointsguy.com