(Yicai) June 5 -- China’s self-developed C919 large passenger airplane and ARJ21 regional jetliner have successfully completed a test flight of over one hour using a blend of sustainable aviation fuel, according to the planes’ developer the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

The C919 airplane took off from Dongying Shengli Airport in eastern Shandong province and the ARJ21 jet from Shanghai Pudong International Airport today, fueled with a combination of sustainable aviation fuel made up of 40 percent bio-aviation kerosene developed by oil major Sinopec and 60 percent standard No. 3 jet fuel, the Beijing-based firm said.

Sustainable aviation fuels, which are made from renewable materials such as biofuels, household waste and synthetic fuels produced from carbon dioxide captured from industrial emissions, can cut carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared with normal jet fuel.

Their use in the civil aviation industry is key to reducing greenhouse gases and saving energy. Over 95 percent of carbon emissions by the civil aviation sector comes from the use of fossil fuels. To cope with global warming and to achieve carbon neutrality, aircraft manufacturers, big airlines and tech firms around the world are studying the practical application of sustainable aviation fuels.

China has more than 10 companies and research institutes engaged in the research, development, and production of sustainable aviation fuels. Several airlines have already carried out test flights with China-produced sustainable aviation fuels.

COMAC has been preparing for its aircraft to start using sustainable aviation fuel since 2022. After extensive research on Chinese and international technical standards on sustainable aviation fuels and test flight methods, the Beijing-based firm received the go-ahead from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in February.

Editor: Kim Taylor