Wizz Air, Airbus partner for SAF trial ahead of EU mandate

Wizz Air announced a partnership with Airbus to trial sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) ahead of the EU’s upcoming RefuelEU aviation regulations, which mandate the use of SAF in aviation fuel.

The trial will take place on two key routes: Barcelona to Budapest and Brussels Charleroi to Budapest. SAF for these flights will be supplied by Cepsa and distributed by World Fuel Services.

The trial is expected to conclude by the end of the year and will utilise the mass balance approach. Wizz Air plans to purchase up to 16 metric tons of pure SAF with a blend of up to 5% SAF at Barcelona-El Prat Airport and up to 18 metric tons of pure SAF with a 10% blend at Brussels Charleroi Airport.

Yvonne Moynihan, Wizz Air’s Corporate and ESG Officer, emphasised the importance of this collaboration: “SAF is a key enabler in achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Through this project, we are not only testing SAF operations but also gathering insights from our passengers on their awareness of decarbonisation initiatives.”

Julie Kitcher, Airbus’ Chief Sustainability Officer, added: “Working together with partners like Wizz Air to efficiently integrate SAF across airline operations is a crucial step towards decarbonisation.”

The trial will also feature a passenger survey to gather feedback on awareness and perceptions of SAF. The results will be made publicly available to inform future sustainability efforts.

Local fuel suppliers, such as World Fuel and Cepsa, are also involved in the initiative, supporting the growth of SAF supply to meet increasing demand from airlines.