Vistara in India operates first wide-body flight on sustainable fuel |
India`s full-service airline Vistara has for the first time operate a wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft using a mixture of conventional gasoline and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Other airlines have used SAF on domestic flights, but not on a widebody aircraft. This is yet another significant for India in terms of clean technology and to prevent environment degradation. Vistara used SAF on the flight on 4th May 2023 between Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi (DEL) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai (BOM) on a brand-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. SAF used a blend of 17% SAF and 83% regular jet fuel, which cut CO2 emissions by about 10,000 pounds. Vistara`s Chief Executive Officer, Vinod Kannan, said the airline, owned by India`s Tata group, is committed to reducing its carbon footprint. Vistara received its fourth 787 Dreamliner in April. In fact, for the delivery of the aircraft, the flight from Charleston International Airport, South Carolina, USA, to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, was the first time an Indian airline has flown a widebody aircraft utilizing sustainable aviation fuel on a long-haul route. Along with Boeing, GE Aerospace donated the aircraft`s most recent GEnx engines for the voyage. Indian carriers have been slow to use SAF in commercial operations. Reportedly, in 2018, SpiceJet carried out India`s first biofuel test flight, on a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft, on a 45-minute flight between Dehradun and Delhi. The Tata Group owns three major airlines - Air India, AirAsia India, and Vistara. Tata Group airlines have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) India`s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum - to cooperate and work on the research, development, and deployment of SAF.
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