All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest and 5-Star airline for eight consecutive years, took another step forward in advancing its leadership in sustainability, operating a regulary scheduled commercial domestic flight utilizing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from microalgae, blended with traditional jet fuel.
The SAF fueled flight was realized in partner with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) - a prominent Japanese public research and development body - which aims to develop integrated production technology for SAF, with the IHI Corporation supplying SAF used on the ANA flight. The Civil Aviation Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Resources have led the initiative to establish and promote supply chains for SAF, bringing together related parties in the NEDO project.
The ANA flight was the first flight in the world to use SAF certified to meet ASTM D7566 Annex71 jet fuel specifications.
Details of the flight:
ANA has pledged to become a carbon-neutral airline by 2050, with enhanced utilization of SAF being a key factor in achieving its ESG goals. ANA's efforts have contributed to ANA being placed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, a leading global index for socially responsible investment, for four consecutive years. ANA is also the only airline to receive the Gold Class rating (the highest recognition) in S&P Global's Sustainability Awards 2021. Under the ANA Future Promise initiative, ANA is committed to playing its part in pushing towards a sustainable future, and by working together with partners, ANA will continue to engage in development and transition to sustainable aviation fuel.
- 1 ASTM D7566 Annex7 : Standard for alternative jet fuel for aviation defined by ASTM International (formerly American Society for Testing and Materials). Annex7 defines a liquid hydrocarbon fuel obtained by hydrogenating crude oil (mainly hydrocarbon) extracted from the microalga Botryococcus braunii. IHI independently applied for the standard to ASTM and it was approved in May 2020.