Audio By Carbonatix
It's huge, it's wide, and it's potentially a lot more sustainable.
The Airbus A380, a behemoth of the skies, has completed a trial flight powered on cooking oil.
The test airplane completed a three-hour flight from Blagnac Airport in Toulouse -- Airbus' French headquarters -- on 25 March.
It was powered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF -- predominantly made of used cooking oil and waste fats -- and operating on a single Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine.
Airbus then followed up with a second A380 flight, using the same cooking oil fuel, on March 29, flying from Toulouse to Nice.
The second flight was to monitor SAF use during take-off and landing. The fuel used was supplied by TotalEnergies, a company based in France's Normandy region.
It was made from Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), which is free of both aromatics and sulfur.
Airbus has been testing the use of SAF-powered flights for the last year, with an A350 being tested in March 2021, and an A319neo single-aisle aircraft flying on cooking oil in October.
The company hopes to get its aircraft certified to fly on SAF by the end of the decade. Currently, Airbus aircraft can be powered by up to 50% SAF, blended with traditional kerosene.
Latest Stories
-
Built environment professionals call for metropolitan governance reforms to address Ghana’s urban challenges
6 minutes -
NLA staff give management 14 days to resolve grievances or face strike
16 minutes -
Previous gov’t prioritised Agenda 111 over completion of Afari, Sewua Hospitals – Health Committee Chair
18 minutes -
Stock market jitters remain amid tech fears and renewed Middle East attacks
18 minutes -
GPCC urges Parliament to restore original Anti-Gay Bill
21 minutes -
Two women petition Mahama to sack Ashanti Regional Minister over sexually offensive post targeting Akosua Manu
24 minutes -
SG Ghana reports strong 2025 performance as profit reaches GH¢397m
41 minutes -
I will never get over watching my home of 13 years burn down
47 minutes -
Manhunt under way in South Africa after 12 killed in mass shooting in Johannesburg
54 minutes -
US inflation surges to three-year high of 4.2%
57 minutes -
Trump says US will hit Iran ‘hard’ again on Wednesday
1 hour -
7th Wave FC present 2025/26 season success to sponsors GLICO
1 hour -
Are evil forces behind your marriage?
1 hour -
Tafo Zongo hopes new abattoir will transform meat processing
1 hour -
GWL restores water production after completing repairs at Barekese Plant
1 hour