Kenya Airways launches first flight with Eni’s aviation biofuel
Kenya Airways has taken the first African stride in the use of aviation biofuel successfully when the airline fired the Boeing 787-800 (B787-8) Dreamliner from Nairobi in Kenya to Schipol in Amsterdam.
With the feat, biojet from the Gela refinery built by Italy’s Eni has consolidated confirmation of commercial viability in the long-haul aviation fuel future.
The Gela biorefinery was conceived to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a green energy concept developed by Italian energy major, Eni.
According to the airline, the Dreamliner would be the first Kenya Airways plane to be powered with Eni Sustainable Mobility’s sustainable aviation fuel to fly across international borders.
The plane was fueled with a mix of Jet-A1 and Eni Biojet produced in the Eni’s Livorno refinery by distilling the bio-components produced from the Gela biorefinery.
“We have piloted the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on our flight from Nairobi to Amsterdam as part of The Sustainable Flight Challenge by SkyTeam. This is the first pathway to testing the use of SAF within Africa and is among other impactful initiatives taken by the airline on this special flight,” KQ said on its LinkedIn page.
From 2025, all aircraft departing from European airports will be required to incorporate a percentage of sustainable aviation fuels in their fuel mix. As a result, KQ says it is positioning itself to take advantage of sustainable aviation fuel momentum within the sector to unlock competitive advantages across the region and the wider African aviation industry.
The inaugural Sustainable Flight Challenge launched in May 2022 brought together 16 airlines. This year the Challenge features 22 airlines looking to execute the most sustainable flight possible. This is the second time Kenya Airways has taken part in the Challenge in line with its purpose to contribute to the sustainable development of Africa.
“The supply of Eni Biojet to Nairobi Airport is an important step for Eni Sustainable Mobility because it confirms that the company can support airlines such as Kenya Airways in their path towards decarbonization” said Stefano Ballista, CEO Eni Sustainable Mobility.
Eni Sustainable Mobility and Kenya Airways are working on a broader agreement for long-term collaboration.
