Cathay Pacific has taken delivery of its latest Airbus A350 aircraft, following a “green” delivery flight that saw the jet’s fuel tanks filled with biofuel.
The Asian carrier’s 15th A350 departed the Airbus factory in Toulouse on 1 June, bound for Hong Kong, with a 10% blend of sustainable jet fuel in its tanks.
The biofuel delivery flight concept was originally devised by Cathay in 2015 and is now fully operational.
“This is a major step for Airbus and a first for the regular delivery of new production aircraft. It enables us to demonstrate that aviation biofuels are today a reality. We now target to expand this initiative to all our delivery sites, close to our customers,” said Frederic Eychenne, head of new energies at Airbus.
Following the launch of this service on Airbus flights from Toulouse, the planemaker plans to start biofuel delivery flights from its factories in Germany and the US in 2018.
The move is aimed at promoting the environmental credentials of its new A350 aircraft, which consumes less fuel and therefore produces fewer CO2 emissions than older models.
