JOHANNESBURG, July 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA],
South African Airways (SAA) and low-cost carrier Mango today
celebrated Africa's first
passenger flights with sustainable aviation biofuel. The flights
coincided with Boeing's 100th anniversary and centennial
celebrations worldwide.
The SAA and Mango flights carried 300 passengers from
Johannesburg to Cape Town on Boeing 737-800s using a blend of
30 percent aviation biofuel produced from Sunchem's nicotine-free
tobacco plant Solaris, refined by AltAir Fuels and supplied by
SkyNRG.
"SAA is committed to a sustainable future and this flight
highlights the bold steps we are taking to protect and preserve our
environment while creating opportunities for the economic
development of our people," said Musa
Zwane, acting CEO of SAA. "We are pleased to join the ranks
of global airlines who have made a commitment to a better and
cleaner way of flying."
"It is fitting that on our 100 year anniversary we are flying on
fuels that not only power the flight, but ensure a sustainable
future for our industry," said Miguel
Santos, managing director for Africa, Boeing International. "This project is
a great example of environmental stewardship that delivers economic
and health benefits to South
Africa."
In 2013, Boeing and SAA launched their sustainable aviation
fuels collaboration and in 2014, Project Solaris became the first
focus project that converted oil from the Solaris plant seed into
bio-jet fuel. In 2015, farms in Limpopo Province of South Africa, from which the biofuel for
today's flights was sourced, achieved certification from the
Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), one of the strongest
sustainability standards in the world. RSB certification provides a
model for expansion of Project Solaris to larger scale production.
The initiative also focuses on South
Africa's goals for public health, rural development and
economic and employment opportunities for farmers by increasing
production of Solaris and other feedstocks on under-utilized
land.
The partners today also launched a stakeholder and
sustainability plan called the Southern Africa Sustainable Fuel
Initiative (SASFI) to ensure a long-term domestic fuel supply
for SAA and other regional fuel users. The goal is to scale-up over
the next several years to gain additional biofuel capacity. If
successful, farmers will be able to tap into local and global
demand for certified feedstock without adverse impact to food
supplies, fresh water or land use.
Studies have shown that sustainably produced aviation biofuel
emits 50 to 80 percent lower carbon emissions through its life
cycle that fossil jet fuel. Airlines around the world have
conducted more than 2,500 passenger flights using various forms of
aviation biofuel since it was approved for commercial use in
2011.
Boeing is the industry leader in global efforts to develop and
commercialize sustainable aviation biofuel. In addition to its
collaboration in Southern Africa,
Boeing has active biofuel development projects in the United States, Middle East, Europe, China, Japan,
Southeast Asia, Brazil and Australia. For more information, visit
www.boeing.com/environment.
Contacts:
Dana Salloum
Boeing Corporate Communications
+971 50 2289791
dana.i.salloum@boeing.com
Johan du Toit
MEROPA Public Relations
johandt@meropact.co.za
Ian Cruickshank
SAA Group
+27 11 978 1081
iancruickshank@flyssa.com
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SOURCE Boeing