New Delhi: Vistara, the Indian full-service carrier operating as joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, on Thursday announced of becoming the first Indian airline to operate a commercial domestic flight on a wide-body aircraft using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). It operated a Boeing 787 aircraft on the Delhi-Mumbai route using SAF, said an airline official.
“A historic milestone for Indian civil aviation! Congratulations @airvistara for operating a wide-body aircraft flight using a 17% blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel,” tweeted Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia.
“It is indeed a proud moment for us to be part of a historic milestone in Indian aviation. We thank the Hon’ble @JM_Scindia Sir and @MoCA_GoI for their continuous support in our efforts towards a sustainable future for the aviation industry ♻,” replied Vistara (@airvistara) to Scindia’s tweet.
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Airline officials said that the successful flight operation gives a huge boost to their efforts towards reducing sector’s carbon emissions & lead the way for the world. Vistara’s brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which flew from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai used a blend of 17% SAF with 83% conventional jet fuel.
10,000 pounds less emission of CO2 than normal flight
The Vistara claimed to have reduced approximately 10,000 pounds of CO2 emissions in its mixed fuel flight. This pioneering initiative is part of Vistara’s ongoing efforts to minimise carbon footprint and support a sustainable future for the aviation industry, according to the airline. “This pioneering initiative is part of Vistara’s ongoing efforts to minimize carbon footprint and support a sustainable future for the aviation industry,” the airline said.
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Vistara had last month operated a wide-body aircraft on a long-haul international route using SAF, which was also the first time for an Indian airline. A blend of 30% SAF and 70% conventional jet fuel was used on a ferry flight between Charleston International Airport, South Carolina to Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, which resulted in the reduction of approximately 150,000 pounds of CO2 emissions over fuel’s life cycle, Vistara said.
“We have always been committed to driving sustainability and innovation in aviation, and are delighted to carry out yet another industry-first initiative of operating a commercial flight on a wide-body using SAF,” said Vinod Kannan, chief executive officer (CEO) of Vistara, which is in the process of merger with Air India.
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Last year, the company has signed an MoU with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum to collaborate on the research, development and deployment of SAFs. According to the airline, it is also working through the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation (CORSIA), to lower CO2 emissions for international flights and to curb the industry’s impact on climate change.
