Passenger jet flies on fuel made from waste CO₂ in aviation breakthrough

Engineers have turned waste carbon dioxide into jet fuel that has already helped power a commercial passenger flight, in a breakthrough that could help airlines cut emissions without replacing existing aircraft

An American Airlines jet has taken flight using fuel made from waste carbon dioxide in a breakthrough that could dramatically reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

In a landmark test, the commercial flight flew from Corpus Christi to Dallas Fort Worth using a blend containing cutting-edge electro sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF), which is made using waste CO₂ and renewable electricity.

The eco-technology uses waste carbon dioxide and renewable power to produce a liquid fuel that can be blended with conventional jet fuel.

Standard jet fuel is refined from petroleum, releasing fossil carbon into the atmosphere when it is burned.

Crucially, the blended fuel can be used in existing aircraft engines and airport fuelling infrastructure without further modifications, allowing airlines to cut emissions without replacing their fleets.

While alternative sustainable aviation fuels can rely on biobased feedstocks such as used cooking oil or plant waste, this marked the first time SAF made without biobased feedstocks had been delivered to a commercial airport in the U.S.

Bosses at American Airlines yesterday hailed the successful flight as a significant moment for the future of commercial flight.

Chief Executive Robert Isom said: “This flight represents a significant moment for aviation. We’re demonstrating how next-generation technologies can move from early investment to real-world application.”

The eco-friendly eSAF, which Infinium says can cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 per cent compared with conventional petroleum-based jet fuel, was produced at the firm’s facility in Texas.

American Airlines has already signed a deal to purchase commercial volumes of the sustainable fuel from Infinium’s next production facility, which is expected to begin production and deliveries in 2027.

With global airlines consuming nearly 100 billion gallons of jet fuel every year, sustainable aviation fuel still accounts for less than one per cent of worldwide jet fuel use.

Infinium Chief Executive Robert Schuetzle added: “Seeing it power a commercial passenger flight marks another meaningful step forward in bringing practical, low-carbon fuel solutions to industry.”

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_{Main image: American Airlines and Infinium advance aviation with commercial deployment of electro sustainable aviation fuel. Credit: Infinium}