On the ninth Summit of the Americas, taking place in Los Angeles, Aeroméxico joined the initiative led by Boeing and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to promote the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
On June 5th, a day before the start of the meeting, the Mexican airline loaded 6.500 liters of SAF into the Boeing 787-8 that operated flight AM647 between Los Angeles (LAX) and Mexico City (MEX). According to the company, the sustainable fuel avoided the emission of 3.7 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
It was the first time Aeroméxico used this alternative fuel on a Dreamliner. The aircraft is also one of the most efficient alternatives in terms of fuel consumption and associated emissions currently available on the market. These characteristics, coupled with the blending of traditional fuel with SAF, significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a flight.
In 2010, Aeroméxico became the first Latin American airline to use sustainable fuel for long-haul flights. It is currently part of the World Economic Forum’s «Clean Skies for Tomorrow» initiative, which states its goal of achieving 10% of all fuel demanded by aviation to be SAF by 2030.
The company also highlighted its participation in two working meetings in which the path that the industry must follow to achieve zero net emissions was discussed, as well as «the relevance of creating public policies in the region that allow the effective commercialization and transition towards the use of SAF».
This aspect is particularly relevant. Although research, development and production have increased in recent years, there is no large-scale availability. The use of sustainable fuels is still incipient. However, it is expected that production will multiply in the coming years, and this will contribute to lowering the cost for operators.
Furthermore, SAF is the best alternative available in the short term for reducing emissions in aviation due to its compatibility with existing aircraft engines and the possibility of blending with petroleum-based fuels without the need to modify the supply infrastructure.
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