When the first A320neo took to the skies for the first time in September 2014, it immediately became world-renowned as one of the most efficient aircraft ever built. And it is not hard to see why: the A320 Family boasts the very latest engines and large wingtip devices, all of which contribute to making these aircraft up to 20% more fuel efficient than their predecessors.

Now, seven years later, the A320neo Family is adding to its already impressive list of environmental credentials: the A319neo has become the first single-aisle aircraft to operate on unblended SAF as part of an in-flight study.

It all happened on a pleasant autumn day in October. The A319neo test aircraft departed Toulouse's Blagnac airport with one of its CFM LEAP-1A engines running on 100% SAF for a first clearance test flight that lasted three hours. Clearance tests are used to ensure the aircraft meets all applicable safety and performance requirements before further test flights can occur.

"The flight went smoothly," David O'Nions, Airbus Lead Flight Test Engineer and Pilot, said. "There was no difference in engine behaviour, which gives us confidence that 100% SAF provides comparable performance to conventional jet fuels."

The study, known as VOLCAN ("VOL avec Carburants Alternatifs Nouveaux"), is a joint project between Airbus, Safran, Dassault Aviation, ONERA and the French Ministry of Transports. Through this collaboration, the partners are looking to analyse the compatibility of unblended SAF with single-aisle aircraft and commercial aircraft engine and fuel systems - an important milestone that takes the aviation industry one step closer to certifying 100% SAF for commercial use by 2030.

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Airbus SE published this content on 30 October 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 30 October 2021 09:26:08 UTC.