KLM Cityhopper operated a flight between Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Hamburg, Germany, using a 5% synthetic kerosene fuel blend – the first passenger flight in Germany to do so.
The e-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (e-SAF) was produced by INERATEC, blended with fossil kerosene by MB Energy and refuelled into the aircraft at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. e-SAF is made using renewable electricity, CO2 and water, and can reduce lifecycle emission by more than 90% compared to fossil kerosene.
Tim Boeltken, Co-Founder and CEO of INERATEC, said: “We are ready to deliver. Today’s flight, with our Chief Commercial Officer Maximilian Backhaus on board during a regular passenger service, clearly shows that power-to-liquid fuels are safe, available and already operationally viable today. This is just the beginning of many applications we will see this year across various sectors.”
Christian Kunsch, Chairman of the Executive Board of Hamburg Airport, followed: “Sustainably produced aviation fuels will play an important role in decarbonising aviation in the coming years. Our infrastructure is fully ready, and we actively support airlines in the use of locally produced blends, including through targeted incentives. Today’s e-SAF flight marks an important milestone on the path toward lower CO₂ emissions through the use of alternative fuels.”
Currently, e-SAF production is behind the European sub-target of 1.2% e-SAF blend by 2030, and it is currently four times more expensive than SAF and around eight times more expensive than conventional kerosene, making commercial uptake difficult at this stage.
Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM, stated: “I believe e-SAF can make a real difference in making aviation more sustainable. KLM already pioneered a passenger flight on e-SAF in 2021, from Amsterdam to Madrid. Today’s flight to Hamburg once again shows that flying on synthetic kerosene is technically possible. But, the reality is that the availability of e-SAF lags far behind ambition. To truly make a difference, we must work together with governments, industry and partners on scaling up and affordability in order to accelerate the sustainability of aviation.”
Jonathan Perkins, CEO of MB Energy, concluded: “Aviation has long been at the forefront of technological innovation. With this operation, together with KLM and INERATEC, we are demonstrating how lower-carbon fuels can be integrated into existing infrastructure and operations. At MB Energy, we are laying the groundwork today; by developing routes to market, adapting our infrastructure and establishing reliable supply so that we can deliver when our customers are ready.”
KLM, INERATEC, MB Energy and Hamburg Airport Operate Synthetic Kerosene Flight
