Wizz Air and Airbus to Launch Sustainable Aviation Fuel Fuel Trial ahead of EU Mandates

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October 22, 2024

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(Wizz Air) Wizz Air, awarded as global environmentally sustainable airline group of the year by the CAPA Centre for Aviation*, today announces it will trial operations using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in collaboration with Airbus. This positions Wizz Air at the forefront of compliance with the EU’s forthcoming RefuelEU aviation regulations, which are set to take effect in 2025. The joint initiative underscores Wizz Air’s proactive approach to decarbonising air travel in alignment with the EU’s Destination 2050.

As part of the EU’s Fit for 55 package, the RefuelEU aviation regulation requires aviation fuel suppliers to ensure that all fuel made available at select EU airports contain a minimum share of SAF with increasing blends over time. It will also require airlines operating in the EU to refuel with 90% of fuel needs from those airports. With this project, Wizz Air is taking steps to incorporate SAF into its operations, on top of leveraging the fuel efficiency of the Airbus A321neo aircraft, testing the alignment with regulatory frameworks ahead of schedule and working to understand passengers’ awareness of SAF and surrounding policies.

The trial will involve flights across two major routes, Barcelona to Budapest (BCN-BUD) and Brussels Charleroi to Budapest (CRL-BUD), with SAF supplied by Cepsa and distributed by World Fuel Services, a World Kinect Company for each departure airport respectively and to be completed by the end of the year. The project will be conducted using the mass balancing method**. Wizz Air will purchase up to 16 metric tons pure SAF through an up to 5% SAF blend in the Barcelona-El Prat Airport and up to 18 metric tons pure SAF through an up to 10% SAF blend in the Brussels Charleroi Airport.

Commenting on the initiative, Yvonne Moynihan, Wizz Air’s Corporate and ESG Officer, said, “This cross-industry collaboration with Airbus is a demonstration of the commitment of the aviation community to reduce emissions intensity. It's crucial for all actors in the aviation ecosystem to play their part and join forces to reach the industry goal of net zero by 2050. SAF is a key enabler and that is why Wizz Air supports this pioneering EU policy and has made significant strategic investments into SAF as a result. As a proud EU airline, celebrating 20 years of transformative travel this year, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and leading the industry by example with our goal of having 10% of our flights powered by SAF by 2030. Through this project, we are not only testing SAF operations but also gathering insights from our passengers on their awareness of levers to decarbonise aviation. Our valued passengers are key stakeholders in the value chain and their feedback will play a crucial role in shaping our future sustainability initiatives.”

The trial will also include a survey for Wizz Air passengers, inviting them to share feedback on their understanding and perception of SAF and sustainability initiatives in aviation. The survey will be shared with customers who are subscribed to Wizz Air’s newsletter and it will also be available via this link. The results will be shared publicly and highlight evolving passenger expectations, enabling Wizz Air and the industry more broadly to further enhance sustainability efforts.

Julie Kitcher, Airbus’ Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications said, “At Airbus, we are committed to driving the adoption of SAF as an essential element of our decarbonisation strategy. Fuel-efficient aircraft and SAF will provide the majority of the emissions reductions our industry needs to make by 2050, which is why working together - with partners like Wizz Air - to efficiently integrate SAF across airline operations is such an important step to be taking today. We also look forward to the insights from Wizz Air’s upcoming passenger survey. Understanding how flying customers feel about decarbonisation can support the aviation industry's SAF adoption. We're pleased to be partnering with Wizz Air during this trial.”

Airbus will support Wizz Air in this trial, providing technical guidance and expertise to maximise the efficiency of SAF integration across operations. By proactively embracing SAF and laying the groundwork for the adoption of the new regulatory frameworks, Wizz Air is poised to deliver more carbon efficient air travel options for millions of European passengers.

Wizz Air’s local aviation fuel suppliers appreciate that collaborations, like this one, can bring value to the industry, giving visibility and confidence for producers to grow supply and meet customer demand.

Duncan Storey, Senior Vice President, supply and commercial development EMEA, World Fuel stated: “Aligning with the upcoming RefuelEU aviation requirements is an important milestone in our efforts to expand the availability of sustainable fuels. We are supporting Wizz Air’s goals by delivering a consistent supply of SAF to their key European routes, selling 18 metric tons of neat SAF in a 10% blend. Since 2015, we have been actively working to increase the availability of lower-carbon aviation fuels across the globe. Our SAF supply network in Europe includes multiple key locations such as the UK, Germany, and France.”

Marta Cencillo, Head of Sustainable Aviation at Cepsa added: “Cepsa is pleased to participate with Wizz Air in this important initiative to move towards effective emissions reduction ahead of the REFuelEU mandate. As a leading energy supplier to the aviation sector in Spain, we are committed to working with our customers to decarbonize their business and SAF is an immediate solution to help decarbonize flights without the need for changes to aircraft engines.”

* According to CAPA - Centre for Aviation Awards for Excellence 2022 and 2023.

** Mass balancing is an accounting framework that tracks SAF across a network and attributes its environmental benefits to specific flights, regardless of where the SAF is physically used. It is based on the principle that SAF can be blended with conventional jet fuel and distributed across various flights, but its sustainability benefits are assigned to selected flights as if they directly used SAF. This system enables airlines to support SAF production and use globally. Wizz Air’s SAF utilisation is an efficient use of drop-in SAF fuel in existing fuel infrastructure on a mass balance basis, which allows for a consistent SAF ratio over time without requiring physical segregation and SAF content on each flight, ensuring compliance with stringent sustainability standards and regulations. READ MORE

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Wizz Air praised for sustainability goals (Biofuels International)

Excerpt from Biofuels International: Wizz Air has been awarded EMEA’s Environmental Sustainability Airline Group for 2024 at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit & Sustainability Awards in Hong Kong.

This marks the third consecutive year that the airline has received a sustainability award at the annual CAPA Airline Leader Summit.

The CAPA Environmental Sustainability Awards for Excellence recognise airlines, airports and suppliers who put climate change at the forefront of their business.

The awards are independently researched by CAPA’s analysts and carbon reduction strategists at Envest Global, based on the CAPA Envest Global Airline Sustainability Benchmarking Report.

Wizz Air continues to stand at the forefront of aviation in CO2 intensity reduction, achieving an industry-leading performance.
As well as fleet renewal, Wizz Air has an aspiration to power 10% of its flights with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030
József Váradi, chief executive officer at Wizz Air, said: “This CAPA award reflects the dedication of our 8,100-strong team and our commitment to more affordable and sustainable air travel for everyone. Wizz Air confidently leads the charge in reducing average carbon emissions intensity by using the most advanced, and environmentally best performing aircraft.

“By up gaging our fleet from 180 seater to 239 seater aircraft, we have achieved a remarkable 52 grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometre in financial year 2024. This milestone is driven by one of the youngest fleets globally, averaging 4.43 years, with over 60% of aircraft featuring fuel-efficient neo engines.

“Airlines alone cannot make net-zero happen - the entire industry, including every player in the ecosystem must do their part, from the fuel providers, through the airports, aircraft manufacturers and others. The key to achieving net-zero emissions is industry collaboration and strategic investments into low carbon technologies, supported by governments and policymakers with necessary legislation and meaningful incentives.” READ MORE