Airbus Helicopters has for the first time flown a helicopter using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to power one of its engines. The machine concerned was an Airbus H225, powered by two Safran Makila 2 power plants. The civil version of the H225 is named the Super Puma, while the military version is called the Cougar.

The flight followed a series of bench tests conducted by engine manufacturer Safran at its helicopter engines plant, at Bordes in France. These tested the effect and performance of unblended (100%) SAF on the Makila 2.

“While all Airbus helicopters are certified to fly with up to a 50% blend of SAF mixed with kerosene, it is our company’s ambition to have its helicopters certified to fly with 100% SAF within the decade,” reported Airbus Helicopters executive VP engineering and chief technical officer Stefan Thome. “[Tuesday’s] flight is an important first step towards this goal.”

The test flight took place at Airbus Helicopters’ headquarters at Marignane, also in France. This first flight marked the start of a flight test campaign to ascertain and assess the effect (if any) of 100% SAF on helicopter systems and to further understand the technical challenges involved in using unblended SAF. The intent is to certify fuel blends with more than the currently certified 50% SAF content.

The SAF used to power one of the H225’s two engines was supplied by French company TotalEnergies. It was made from used cooking oil.

“SAF is an important pillar of Airbus Helicopters’ decarbonisation strategy because it provides immediate CO₂ reduction with no negative impact on the performance of the helicopter,” he pointed out. “I thank our partners Safran Helicopter Engines and TotalEnergies for their important collaboration in making [Tuesday’s] flight a reality. Further cooperation among all industry stakeholders is essential to overcome the challenges associated with implementing SAF widely and to make real progress in reducing the aviation industry’s CO₂ emissions.”

To promote the use of SAF, Airbus Helicopters has set up a SAF User Group, focused on the helicopter sector. Further, the company has initiated the use of SAF at its French and German facilities, for both test and training flights.