Croatia Airlines operates first flights using sustainable aviation fuel
19th April 2024, Zagreb
To support global climate goals, Croatia Airlines has today used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the first time to operate selected flights departing from the Republic of Croatia. Today’s operation of flights is part of a pilot project in preparation for the implementation of legislation which comes into effect in 2025.
SAF, which is comprised of 30-40% of biofuels, has been used to power the Airbus A319 and Dash 8-Q400 aircraft, which have been used for the operation of today’s international flights from Zagreb to Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, London Heathrow, and Zurich, and today’s domestic flights on the Zagreb-Split, Zagreb-Dubrovnik-Zagreb, and Zagreb-Pula-Zadar routes.
SAF for these flights was provided by INA through its supplier. This confirms INA’s readiness for the implementation of legislation which is to come into effect at the beginning of 2025. According to this legislation, suppliers in the European Union will be required to use 2% of fuel from renewable sources for the purpose of decarbonising air transport. More specifically, in accordance with European Union regulation, all aviation fuel suppliers will be required to supply SAF for the operation of aircraft, and airlines will be required to use SAF within the European Union. This regulation applies to all airports whose passenger traffic exceeds 800,000 passengers a year.
SAFs are a blend of biofuels produced from raw materials that meet sustainability criteria and fossil jet fuel.
It is important to highlight that the use of SAFs does not require any changes to be made to the aircraft fuel tank itself, and that SAFs can be used in all the aircraft operated by Croatia Airlines. This makes the use of SAFs simple, while they provide cleaner air of better quality to all fellow citizens. Given the average fuel life cycle, the use of SAFs reduces the level of greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80%.
It is worth recalling that, by signing the Paris Agreement (2016), the Republic of Croatia adopted the legal duty to become a climate-neutral economy by 2050, to support the long-term goal of keeping the increase in the average global temperature at a level significantly lower than 2°C compared to the pre-industrial average, and to put effort into limiting this increase to 1.5°C. In this context, the European Union, in looking to encourage the reduction of CO2 emissions in transport, prepared the Fit for 55 package, within the framework of which the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation (EU) 2023/2405 was adopted, which applies to air transport stakeholders.
Aware of its role not just as Croatia’s flag carrier, but also as an instigator of new initiatives, Croatia Airlines actively supports the green transition of the Republic of Croatia within the scope of its operations. Today’s pilot project and the operation of today’s flights using SAF in collaboration with INA as a strategic partner on the eve of Earth Day (22nd April) testify to the above, as well as to the fact that Croatia Airlines influences the reduction of CO2 emissions and confirms its readiness for the future.