Diamond Aircraft and Austro Engine Anticipate Increasing Availability of ASTM D7566 SAF

A Diamond DA42-VI training aircraft powered by Austro Engine AE300 powerplants burning Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) executed a number of circuits around Germany’s Bremen Airport (BRE). The flight—a joint-undertaking of Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH, Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH, Austro Engine GmbH, World Fuel Services Europe Ltd., and Bremen Airport—occasioned the first flight-operation of a DA-42-VI powered solely by SAF.

Bremen Airport was deliberately chosen for the milestone flight as it is among the first German airports to stock SAF provided by World Fuel Services. Subject SAF is synthesized from waste cooking oils and aquatic and terrestrial vegetation in Ghent, Belgium. According to the companies by which it’s produced, SAF lowers engine lifetime CO2 emissions by up to eighty-percent.

Diamond Aircraft and Austro Engine anticipate increasing availability of ASTM D7566 SAF blends as a so-called drop-in fuel for general aviation aircraft over the coming years. The two companies plan to see the entire Diamond fleet approved for blended SAF operations by 2025.

Lufthansa Aviation’s Birgit Bubelach stated: "I am very pleased that we are all standing here together today and are able to witness this test-flight of one of our European Flight Academy training aircraft, fueled for the first time with SAF. This has been made possible by our long-standing good partnership with the airport operator as well as the fuel-supplier here at Bremen Airport, who, at our request and without hesitation, were available to our training aircraft manufacturer, Diamond, and its engine manufacturer, Austro Engine, for the testing of SAF for their engines.”

Lufthansa Aviation Training head of training services Mathias Offen remarked: “Today's test-flight with SAF in one of our training aircraft is an essential building block on the way to sustainable pilot training at our flight schools, which we as the European Flight Academy are embarking on together with our training aircraft manufacturer Diamond."   

Diamond Aircraft Austria head of design organization Robert Kremnitzer set forth: "SAF is the most immediately-available key to reducing CO2 emissions in aviation. The majority of the Diamond fleet can benefit directly from using kerosene piston engines. We are very pleased to be able to demonstrate this as a model example through the cooperation with our partner LAT and Bremen Airport, and we are convinced that we will jointly pave the way here."

Austro Engine chief technology officer Felix Zahradnik asserted: "Despite the system-related advantage of a kerosene piston engine in terms of CO2 emissions, any further development towards overall CO2 reduction is of great importance to us. SAFs represent a welcome opportunity to immediately optimize existing fleets with respect to decarbonization. These fuels have by now been sufficiently tested for use in turbines and their increased use saves tons of CO2. Kerosene-fueled piston engines play only a minor role in aviation due to their low-volumes globally and their low-emissions in general. As a result, it was very difficult for us to procure these new fuels for analysis and testing, let alone to participate in their certification in order to address the specific requirements of a compression-ignition piston engine. However, by cooperating with LAT, one of our main customers, and with the great support of Bremen Airport as well as WFS, we were able to procure enough fuel for extensive investigations on engine test benches and test-flights in preparation for the certification of SAFs. We look forward to working with our customers to shape the future of aviation."

Bremen Airport managing director Dr. Marc Cezanne stated: "As part of our climate protection strategy, we decided, in 2018, to provide Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Bremen Airport. As a result, a tank-farm for SAF, as well as a reliable supply-chain for the procurement of the more environmentally friendly kerosene were established. Since mid-2022, we have been offering green kerosene to all airlines at our airport. We are very pleased that Lufthansa Aviation Training is now flying from Bremen with significantly reduced emissions."

Bremen Airport chief operation officer and project manager Christian Knuschke averred: "The planning and implementation of the SAF project was ambitious, but successful. We are currently able to store around fifty-cubic meters of SAF at Bremen Airport, but in the long-run we aim at further developing our capacity in line with the market. Already at this point, this makes Bremen Airport a pioneer on the road to green aviation."

World Fuel Services vice-president Matt Whitton remarked: "Collaboration is key in accelerating SAF adoption, and we commend the dedication of all involved parties in making this project a success. The group’s pioneering effort in SAF use aligns with our mission to expand SAF access and broaden the understanding that this is a drop-in fuel ready for use in any aviation application. World Fuel Services continues to work daily with producers and end users to advance SAF accessibility and promote its versatility for a greener aviation industry."

FMI: www.diamondaircraft.com