Munich Airport to Offer Sustainable Fuel from June

Munich Airport will start providing airlines Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) from the beginning of June. These fuels would be an added option to the current fuel system and reduce the carbon footprint of aircraft in the long run.

Although the aviation industry is yet to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it hasn’t neglected the goal of sustainability. Aviation accounts for over 3% of CO2 emissions around the world. So, major stakeholders in the industry are being more intentional about reducing emissions and increasing sustainability. Munich’s goal is to be net-carbon-zero by 2050.

In less than 30 days, the Munich Airport plans to start offering Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Suppliers will deliver SAFs to the airport on the requirement that they meet Jet-A1 fuel specifications.

For a SAF to meet the Jet-A1 fuel specifications, it should be usable by an aircraft without any modifications being made. Munich Airport intends to blend its SAFs into their fuel supply, so airlines may have no idea that they’re using it, and jet engines won’t know the difference.

Although SAFs release the same levels of CO2, they don’t release new CO2 into the atmosphere because they are made from plants. But with fossil fuels, when a jet engine burns them, they release new CO2 to the globe’s carbon cycle.
Speaking on the new project, Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport, said,

“By approving our refuelling facilities for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, we are enabling airlines to reduce their CO2 emissions on flights from Munich by using sustainable aviation fuels… We expect the share of these sustainable fuels in total energy consumption in aviation to increase continuously in the coming years.”

SAFs have remained largely unpopular because of their high cost. However, major parties in the aviation industry want to increase the rate it is used by cutting down on prices. With more key players involved in SAFs and their environmental benefits, they will become more attractive, and the industry will move closer to its sustainability goals.