Turkish Airlines has started using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) across its flight network that connects 128 countries. Aviation fuel obtained from sustainable sources was used for the first time on TK1823, the flight that departed from Istanbul to Paris on February 2. While sustainable fuel will be used for one day per week on the chosen route, there are plans to implement the practice on different routes on a wider scale. This sustainable fuel with high energy helps reduce harmful particles of SOx and NOx emissions due to clean burn. It is produced from sustainable raw materials and devoid of harmful heavy metals.
The flag carrier airline was prompted by the awareness of the effect the aviation sector has on climate change and took the initiative towards reducing the carbon footprint of its customers. Sustainable aviation fuel reduces emissions by 87 percent. The fueling process is also facilitated by Turkish Airlines subsidiary Turkish Fuel Services (TFS). Sourced from Neste, the environmentally friendly product is stored at the TFS fuel farm and gets loaded to aircraft after being blended with jet fuel. Turkish Airlines is also conducting a project on microalgae-based sustainable biojet fuel (MICRO-JET) along with Bogaziçi University, supported by TUBITAK. When the project is complete, the first carbon-negative integrated bio refinery of Turkey and Europe will start its service.