Malaysia Airlines flies the first flight in Malaysia using Sustainable Aviation Fuel – PETRONAS and Neste collaborate with the airline to mark a major milestone in Malaysia’s aviation industry
Photo: Martijn Gijsbertsen
Neste Corporation, Press Release, 17 December 2021 at 9.00 a.m. (EET)
Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia, today operated its inaugural flight using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in partnership with PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) and Neste. The flight marks Malaysia Airlines’ commitment to make SAF the cleaner and more viable energy option for regular flights by 2025.
The historic flight MH7979 utilizing the Airbus 330-200 aircraft departed Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at 12:55 pm local time using a blend mixture of approximately 38% SAF made e.g. from used cooking oil, and conventional jet fuel, and arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 09.00 am local time.
This successful operation was a result of the supply deal between PETCO Trading (UK) Ltd, which is PETRONAS’ marketing and trading arm in Europe, and Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and SAF refined from waste and residues.
SAF is recognized globally as the most feasible option to significantly reduce aviation emissions in the near term. Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM is produced from sustainably-sourced, 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. In its neat form, and over the life cycle, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%* compared to fossil jet fuel use.
Malaysia Airlines via its parent, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), recently partnered with PDB to jointly explore potential collaborative opportunities that advance sustainability, including the supply and adoption of SAF at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). They also aim to strengthen awareness in aviation sustainability through a united communication and advocacy strategy around carbon emission reduction.
In addition to using sustainable aviation fuel, preparations for this flight were done with GE Digital’s FlightPulse® and Fuel Insight software that assisted the flight crew in planning for efficient fuel procedures during the flight. The data logged during the flight will be processed and analyzed to help the Operations team better understand the opportunities to operate a more sustainable flight.
Izham Ismail, Group Chief Executive Officer of MAG commented: “Building on the momentum from our Net Zero Emissions commitment earlier this year, we are proud to have crossed the significant landmark of operating the first Malaysian flight using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Moving forward, we expect SAF to be a key component of our strategy to deliver a more sustainable travel experience for our customers. With the completion of today’s significant first step, we are committed to working towards having a viable SAF supply chain here in Malaysia, and we believe the only way we could reach this goal is through strategic collaboration and support from our stakeholders.”
Azrul Osman Rani, PDB’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer said: “Today marks a significant milestone in our partnership of more than two decades with Malaysia Airlines. In line with PETRONAS’ Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 aspiration and our continued efforts to make sustainable energy more accessible, we have been providing cleaner energy solutions including EV chargers, liquefied natural gas (LNG), solar solutions and other renewable energy to support our partners and customers in achieving their emissions reduction ambitions. With SAF now proven to be a feasible alternative for commercial flights, we are excited to continue making headways in this decarbonisation journey.”
Thorsten Lange, Executive Vice President, Renewable Aviation at Neste commented: “Neste is committed to helping aviation with its emission reduction targets and we’re delighted to cooperate with Malaysia Airlines and PETRONAS to complete their first SAF-powered flight. Neste’s SAF provides immediate emission reductions and is already available today, playing a pivotal role in decarbonising the aviation industry. We continue to scale up our operations and will have the capacity to produce some 1.5 million tons of SAF annually by the end of 2023.”
*) Calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, like CORSIA methodology
Neste Corporation
Susanna Sieppi
Vice President, Communications
Further information:
Neste: Please contact Neste’s media service, tel. +358 50 458 5076 / media@neste.com (weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EET).
Malaysia Airlines: Please contact Malaysia Airlines media service, media@malaysiaairlines.com
PETRONAS: Please contact Esha Lim Hwee Nee, eshalim.hweenee@petronas.com
Neste in brief
Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. We refine waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. We are the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. We aim at helping customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with our renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. As a technologically advanced refiner of high-quality oil products with a commitment to reach carbon-neutral production by 2035, we are also introducing renewable and recycled raw materials such as waste plastic as refinery raw materials. We have consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2020, Neste's revenue stood at EUR 11.8 billion, with 94% of the company’s comparable operating profit coming from renewable products. Read more: neste.com
About Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia, offering the best way to fly to, from and around Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines carries up to 40,000 guests daily on memorable journeys inspired by Malaysia’s diverse richness. Malaysia Airlines embodies the incredible diversity of Malaysia, capturing its rich traditions, cultures and cuisines via its inimitable Malaysian Hospitality across all customer touch points.
Since September 2015, the airline has been owned and operated by Malaysia Airlines Berhad. It is part of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), a global aviation organisation that comprises different aviation business portfolios aimed at serving Malaysian air travel needs. Via our alliance with oneworld®, Malaysia Airlines offers superior connectivity with seamless journeys to 1,000 destinations across 150 plus countries, and access to over 650 airport lounges worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.malaysiaairlines.com
About Petroliam Nasional Berhad
We are a dynamic global energy group with presence in over 50 countries. We produce and deliver energy and solutions that power society’s progress in a responsible and sustainable manner.
We seek energy potential across the globe, optimising value through our integrated business model. Our portfolio includes cleaner conventional and renewable resources and a ready range of advanced products and adaptive solutions.
Sustainability is at the core of what we do as we harness the good in energy to elevate and enrich lives. People are our strength and partners for growth, driving our passion for innovation to progress towards the future of energy sustainability.
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