Airbus H225 Takes Off with 100% SAF in One Engine

(10 Nov 2021)  An Airbus H225 has performed a flight with 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) powering one of the Safran Makila 2 engines.

The flight, which took place at the company’s headquarters in Marignane, marks the start of a flight campaign designed to assess the impact of unblended SAF on helicopter systems with the aim of certifying the use of SAF blends that exceed today’s 50% limit.

Airbus H225 performing a flight with 100% SAF powering one of the Safran Makila 2 engines.

“While all Airbus helicopters are certified to fly with up to a 50% blend of SAF mixed with kerosene, it is our company’s ambition to have our helicopters certified to fly with 100% SAF within the decade,” said Stefan Thome, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technical Officer, Airbus Helicopters. “Today’s flight is an important first step towards this goal.”

The flight campaign, which follows earlier unblended SAF bench tests performed by Safran Helicopter Engines at its Bordes plant, will provide further understanding of the technical challenges associated with the use of 100% SAF with helicopters.

The H225 test helicopter flew with an unblended SAF derived from used cooking oil, provided by TotalEnergies, which offers a net 90% CO2 reduction compared to regular jet fuel.

“SAF is an important pillar of Airbus Helicopters’ decarbonisation strategy because it provides immediate CO2 reduction with no negative impact on the performance of the helicopter,” Thome added. “I thank our partners Safran Helicopter Engines and TotalEnergies for their important collaboration in making today’s flight a reality. Further cooperation among all industry stakeholders is essential to overcome the challenges associated with implementing SAF widely and to make real progress in reducing the aviation industry’s CO2 emissions.”