The perfect flight

As environmental consciousness rises, aviation is coming under fire. This is especially true in Sweden where terms such as ‘Flygskam’ – a literal translation of flight shame – are being used. Nonetheless, it is possible to fly responsibly, and Swedish airline Braathens Regional Airlines set out to prove this with the ‘Perfect Flight’.

With a fully-booked plane of 72 passengers, Braathens Regional Airlines (BRA) turned a typical weekday service from Halmstad to Stockholm into a glowing green spotlight on sustainable aviation. The airline performed a completely climate-optimised flight between these cities to prove how climate smart we, as a global community, can fly with the technology today.

With 50 per cent fossil-free biofuel in the tank, every element of the flight management process was optimised to keep carbon emissions to a minimum. Assisted by the Swedish air navigation service provider, this included an optimised flight altitude, a slower approach, the straightest flight path and an already very fuel-efficient aircraft, allowing BR A to reduce the net emissions of carbon dioxide by 46 per cent compared to the same flight with fossil fuel.

The flight was a collaboration between BRA, aircraft manufacturer ATR, biofuel suppliers Air BP and Neste, as well as Halmstad City Airport and Bromma Stockholm Airport.

The place to start
BRA has the ambition to be fossil free by 2030, and as the first airline to become ISO 14001 certified in 2009, the first airline to offer biofuel services and the first airline to climate compensate for all emissions of greenhouse gasses, the Perfect Flight was just another example of the airline’s commitment to achieving this.

BRA pilot, Johan Molarin, was the flight captain of the Perfect Flight. He told Regional International: “Planning this flight has been very exciting because it’s not been focussed on future possibilities; it’s about technology we have today; it’s about what we can do right now. Biofuel is of course essential but before anything, you have to get the aircraft right and that’s why the ATR 72-600 turboprop was perfect.”

According to ATR, the ATR 72-600 has an environmental advantage, in that it produces 40 per cent fewer carbon emissions per trip compared with regional jets, saving 4,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, per aircraft, per year. ATR s can also take off and land where other aircraft cannot, ensuring accessibility to all airfields, including those that are the most challenging. This helps connect more communities and provides more opportunities for people, wherever they live.

With the electrification of commercial aircraft not yet a reality, advances in aircraft efficiency and the use of sustainable aviation fuel are likely to play a significant role in supporting the aviation industry to meet its ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions to half of 2005’s levels by 2050.

Tom Anderson, ATR Senior Vice President, Programmes and Customer Services, says: “Using existing technology and available solutions, we have pushed the boundaries even further. This great achievement wouldn’t have been possible without using an ATR aircraft, as our ATR 72-600 version uses 40 per cent less fuel and emits 40 per cent less CO₂ than a regional jet. We are delighted to have taken up this challenge and demonstrate what is possible, which will hopefully set an example for other communities around the world.”

Keeping it clean
The sustainable aviation fuel used to power the Perfect Flight was produced from non-palm renewable and sustainable raw materials. This was made by blending conventional kerosene (fossil-based) with renewable hydrocarbon – a process that can be created using 13 different types of materials, from feed stock and forest chippings, to cooking oil and animal fat.

This fuel, which will typically produce up to 80 per cent fewer emissions over its lifecycle compared with conventional jet fuel, was provided by Finnish company Neste and supplied by Air BP.

Neste is the biggest producer of renewable aviation fuel, with a mission to reduce its customers’ greenhouse gas emissions every year by at least the equivalent of 20 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2030. Andreas Teir, Neste’s Vice President of Renewable Transportation, Nordics, said: “Aviation stakeholders in Sweden have adopted a proactive approach to show their commitment to reducing emissions from their operations by promoting the use of renewable jet fuel. Decarbonising aviation calls for close co-operation between aviation stakeholders, combined with a strong willingness to work collaboratively. We are proud of our partnership with Air BP in bringing sustainable jet fuel to Sweden, which sends a strong signal to the international aviation community also.”

As the world’s largest supplier of aviation fuel, Air BP has more than 250 locations certified as carbon neutral – including Halmstad City Airport, the flight’s chosen departure city. From his seat on the Perfect Flight, Tom Parsons, Air BP Commercial Development Manager, Low Carbon, said: “Today has highlighted what is possible when we all work together and we are proud to have been the supplier of sustainable aviation fuel for this perfect flight. We will continue to look for ways to reduce emissions in our own operations and for our customers.”

Fuelling the market
viation is growing year on year, and one way to support that is biofuel; but with costs currently anywhere from 100–200 per cent more than kerosene, this is not a realistic option for airlines, particularly small to medium-sized carriers. Batches are small, and without larger scales of production, this price point will not change. Consequently, BR A believes more needs to be done politically to support this investment.

“We want to continue to fly ‘perfectly’ in the future,” says Anna Soltorp, Head of Sustainability for BRA. “To achieve this, it is important that we can access sustainable aviation fuel in sufficient quantities and at the right price. For that we need political initiatives. We intend to continue the development of sustainable flying to make every flight as close to perfect as we possibly can. As a society we need to take action to combat climate change and drastically reduce emissions; aviation must play its part in this. Today, we have demonstrated what can be achieved through more efficient flying without compromising connectivity. It is another positive step forwards.”

Soltorp also describes aviation sustainability as “a global issue that needs local solutions”. Sweden is a country aiming to be carbon neutral by 2045 and the city of Halmstad, based in the south of Sweden, has pledged to do so by 2030. Jonas Bergman, Mayor of Halmstad, says: “We are 100,000 people today and expect to be 150,000 by 2050. Therefore, our pledge is not a goal, but a matter of planning ahead as we are naturally growing and need the right infrastructure in place to support this.

“Sweden is averse to flying due to environmental concerns, but rather than reduce flying itself, we need to work to reduce emissions. In Halmstad, we appreciate the need for connectivity and know we need an airport. Business is centred on the larger cities, but money is not everything; lifestyle is important. With our regional airport, people can settle in Halmstad but make the most of the business opportunities in Stockholm. I hope that in the future every flight will be perfect to support this connectivity.”

Results are in

Following the flight, a responsible aviation seminar was held at Stockholm Bromma airport – an airport that connects much of the north and south of Sweden. A host of experts shared their views on environmental sustainability in aviation, as well as the crew sharing the results of how the flight had been achieved. Here, Fredrik Kampfe, Director Industry Affairs for the Swedish Aviation Industry Group, said: “It’s not how, its wow! The Perfect Flight has delivered results in terms of achieving significantly lower carbon emissions.”

Pilot Molarin confirmed that everything went according to plan and they had saved 116 litres of fuel – 11.3 litres of fuel per person instead of 12.8. The net emissions for the flight were 34 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, per passenger. To compare with emissions during an ordinary BRA flight, the average is 63 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, per passenger. Comparing this further, the Swedish emissions limit for a green car is 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre and the emissions limit for a super green car is 50.

Soltorp says: “This is so important for us as an airline to be environmentally sustainable in our operation. We may be a long way to go until we are 100 per cent fossil free, but as this shows, we can fly responsibly and sustainably today.

“We can be proud of the private and public sector working together. It’s really good to work with ATR on this project. It’s always good to collaborate and come together, especially when you have common goals as both our companies do. Equally, being environmentally sustainable is vital for our survival. If we cannot handle these matters, we do not have a future.”

Clemente Affinito, Vice President Sales EMEA, ATR, adds: “The relationship between ATR and BRA is a long-standing one, working together to connect regions. This is the DNA of our name and with environmental concerns gaining greater focus, it’s important, now more than ever, that we work together to find solutions. Initiatives like this are a great example of what ER A can provide – it’s an airline initiative, but we are working with their needs, contributing ideas and new technological developments, as the only way to move forward is together.”