Vistara operates aircraft on long-haul route using SAF

Vistara, India’s full-service carrier and a joint venture with Tata group and Singapore Airlines, has become the country’s first carrier to operate a wide-body aircraft using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a long-haul route.
The ground-breaking flight from Charleston International Airport, South Carolina, to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, was operated in partnership with the Boeing Company and GE Aerospace, on Vistara’s newest GEnx-powered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
By using a blend of 30% SAF with 70% conventional jet fuel, Vistara was able to reduce approximately 150,000 pounds of CO₂ emissions over the fuel’s life cycle.
Vinod Kannan, chief executive officer, Vistara, said, “We take immense pride in carrying out another pioneering initiative to operate a wide-body aircraft on a long-haul route using SAF, as we took delivery of our all-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
“This is an important milestone in our commitment towards achieving carbon neutrality. We thank our partners, Boeing and GE Aerospace, for their support and hope that initiatives such as this, open up more avenues for the industry to increasingly adopt sustainable technologies. Since the very beginning, Vistara had decided to invest in modern and advanced new aircraft with fuel efficient engines, and we remain committed towards reducing carbon emissions across all areas of our operations.”
Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India said: “We congratulate Vistara on the significant achievement of becoming the first Indian airline to operate a wide-body aircraft, the Boeing 787-9, on a long-haul route using SAF.
“This is a major milestone in the Indian aviation industry's journey towards decarbonisation, and we are proud to have been a partner in this endeavour. Boeing remains committed to working with Vistara and other partners to promote the use of SAF in the Indian aviation industry and around the world, in support of our collective goal of achieving a sustainable future for air travel.”