Airbus has extended the use of sustainably-fuelled A300-600ST Beluga outsize transports to its UK wing plant at Broughton.
It has carried out an initial flight from the UK facility with aicraft F-GSTF – one of five -600STs in the airframer’s logistics fleet, fitted with General Electric CF6 engines – partially fuelled with a sustainable blend.
Airbus has been using sustainable fuels in Belugas operating from Hamburg since the end of 2019.
Although sustainable fuels are certified up to a 50% blend, the Beluga fleet operating from Broughton will initially use a 35% blend of non-fossil fuel.
The fuel is derived from feedstock such as cooking oil and supplied by Air BP.
Airbus says this will save over 400t in carbon dioxide emissions over the next three months.
Sustainable aviation fuels project manager Tony Derrien says the extension of the operation to Broughton is an “important milestone” towards decarbonising Airbus’s industrial operations.
