Iberia Maintenance using SAF in its engine test benches

Iberia Maintenance will use 5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in its engine test bench at the La Muñoza facilities, near the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas airport.
The use of this type of fuel will allow for a reduction of 115 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Iberia Maintenance thus becomes the first Spanish aeronautical maintenance provider to use continuously this type of fuel in its engine test bench for commercial airlines.

Cepsa will market this second-generation biofuel produced from organic waste and used cooking oils at its La Rábida Energy Park (Huelva).
Specifically, during this year, the energy company will provide Iberia Maintenance with more than 36 tonnes of SAF.

“We are very proud to have taken another step towards the decarbonisation of the sector with the use of SAF in our test bench, which will allow us to reduce our CO2 emissions by 115 tonnes. Collaboration, technology, and innovation are the essential elements to achieve the industry's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050,” explained Teresa Parejo, director of sustainability at Iberia.

Marta Cencillo, head of sustainable Aviation at Cepsa, added: “We continue to take steps together with Iberia to facilitate the sustainability of their operations and promote sustainable aviation. We work to keep being a reference in the production and distribution of SAF, which will be essential in the coming years to achieve the decarbonisation objectives of the aviation sector.”

The use of SAF in Iberia Maintenance engine tests is part of the environmental sustainability strategy of the International Airlines Group (IAG), which aims net-zero emissions by 2050. Among other actions, Iberia, Iberia Express and Cepsa signed a collaboration agreement for the development and research of fuels of sustainable origin and other energy alternatives, such as the electrification of the fleet, to promote the sustainable mobility of airplanes and the fleet of vehicles that provide services to them at airports.