Wizz Air and Airbus to Test Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Low-cost airliner Wizz Air has announced that it will trial operations using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in collaboration with Airbus. This positions Wizz Air at the forefront of compliance with the EU’s forthcoming RefuelEU aviation regulations, which are set to take effect in 2025. The joint initiative underscores Wizz Air’s proactive approach to decarbonising air travel in alignment with the EU’s Destination 2050.

As part of the EU’s Fit for 55 package, the RefuelEU aviation regulation requires aviation fuel suppliers to ensure that all fuel made available at select EU airports contain a minimum share of SAF with increasing blends over time. It will also require airlines operating in the EU to refuel with 90% of fuel needs from those airports. With this project, Wizz Air is taking steps to incorporate SAF into its operations, on top of leveraging the fuel efficiency of the Airbus A321neo aircraft, testing the alignment with regulatory frameworks ahead of schedule and working to understand passengers’ awareness of SAF and surrounding policies.

The trial will involve flights across two major routes, Barcelona to Budapest (BCN-BUD) and Brussels Charleroi to Budapest (CRL-BUD), with SAF supplied by Cepsa and distributed by World Fuel Services, a World Kinect Company for each departure airport respectively and to be completed by the end of the year. The project will be conducted using the mass balancing method**. Wizz Air will purchase up to 16 metric tons pure SAF through an up to 5% SAF blend in the Barcelona-El Prat Airport and up to 18 metric tons pure SAF through an up to 10% SAF blend in the Brussels Charleroi Airport.

Commenting on the initiative, Yvonne Moynihan, Wizz Air’s Corporate and ESG Officer, said that “this cross-industry collaboration with Airbus is a demonstration of the commitment of the aviation community to reduce emissions intensity. It's crucial for all actors in the aviation ecosystem to play their part and join forces to reach the industry goal of net zero by 2050. SAF is a key enabler and that is why Wizz Air supports this pioneering EU policy and has made significant strategic investments into SAF as a result. As a proud EU airline, celebrating 20 years of transformative travel this year, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and leading the industry by example with our goal of having 10% of our flights powered by SAF by 2030. Through this project, we are not only testing SAF operations but also gathering insights from our passengers on their awareness of levers to decarbonise aviation. Our valued passengers are key stakeholders in the value chain and their feedback will play a crucial role in shaping our future sustainability initiatives.”

The trial will also include a survey for Wizz Air passengers, inviting them to share feedback on their understanding and perception of SAF and sustainability initiatives in aviation. The survey will be shared with customers who are subscribed to Wizz Air’s newsletter and it will also be available via this link. The results will be shared publicly and highlight evolving passenger expectations, enabling Wizz Air and the industry more broadly to further enhance sustainability efforts.