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
-
Easter gesture: Ablakwa settles medical bills for 85 North Tongu constituents
45 minutes -
Africa must harness its population strength—Titus-Glover
46 minutes -
Visa-free access doesn’t mean unlimited stay – Lom Ahlijah
48 minutes -
From Golgotha to Kwahu: The Easter Migration of the Faithful and the Faithless
2 hours -
How the Ghanaian onion traders’ standoff with Nigeria unfolded and threatened local supply
2 hours -
No compensation for demolished structures on 24-Hour Economy market lands — Gov’t to structure owners
2 hours -
Financial Institutions must back local enterprises to spur growth – Deputy Minority Whip
3 hours -
Photos: Gomoa Easter Carnival 2026 ends in a burst of colour and celebration
3 hours -
Gomoa Easter carnival ends in colour as fashion, music and celebrity appearances light up final night
3 hours -
Families pick Luv Fm Family Party to celebrate Easter Monday with music and more
4 hours -
IMANI flags procurement issues in Ghana Gas insurance switch
4 hours -
Kaneshie footbridge rehabilitation to take up to 9 months — AMA
4 hours -
AMA confirms trading will be banned on Kaneshie footbridge after rehabilitation
4 hours -
IMANI flags procurement concerns in state insurance placements
4 hours -
Mahama’s push for visa-free Africa reflects Nkrumah’s Pan-African vision – Rashid Tanko-Computer
5 hours