Wizz Air, Airbus to begin SAF trial ahead of EU mandates
Wizz Air announced Oct. 21 that it will trial operations using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in collaboration with Airbus.
Wizz Air said this positions the airline at the forefront of compliance with the EU’s forthcoming RefuelEU aviation regulations, which are set to take effect in 2025.
As part of the EU’s Fit for 55 package, the RefuelEU aviation regulation requires aviation-fuel suppliers to ensure that fuel made available at select EU airports contains a minimum share of SAF with increasing blends over time.
It will also require airlines operating in the EU to refuel with 90 percent 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 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 percent SAF blend in the Barcelona-El Prat Airport and up to 18 metric tons pure SAF through an up to 10 percent SAF blend in the Brussels Charleroi Airport.
“This cross-industry collaboration with Airbus is a demonstration of the commitment of the aviation community to reduce emissions intensity,” said Yvonne Moynihan, Wizz Air’s corporate and ESG officer. “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 percent 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 decarbonize 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.
“At Airbus, we are committed to driving the adoption of SAF as an essential element of our decarbonization strategy,” said Julie Kitcher, Airbus’ chief sustainability and communications officer. “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 decarbonization 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 maximize 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 said its 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.
“Aligning with the upcoming RefuelEU aviation requirements is an important milestone in our efforts to expand the availability of sustainable fuels,” said Duncan Storey, an executive with World Fuel Services. “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 percent 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 U.K., Germany and France.”
Marta Cencillo, the 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.”
