The aviation industry has set 2050 as the target to achieve net zero CO2 emissions. A key enabler will be the extensive use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). A promising development in that regard has surfaced from IAE International Aero Engines AG (IAE), a consortium comprising Pratt & Whitney (an RTX company), Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation, and MTU Aero Engines AG.

IAE has successfully tested the V2500 engine on 100 per cent SAF. More specifically, the engine test was conducted on 100 per cent Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosine (HEFA-SPK) fuel supplied by Neste. This fuel is produced by hydrotreating renewable raw materials, like waste oils or fats, into an aviation turbine fuel. It is a prominent sustainable alternative to conventional jet fuels. The test was carried out at MTU Maintenance Hannover, Germany.

The V2500, first introduced in the late 1980s, currently powers the Airbus A320ceo family jets and the Embraer C-390 Millenium aircraft. It’s a popular powerplant, with nearly 3,000 V2500-equipped jets in service today. It has already been approved to operate on a fuel blend comprising up to 50 per cent SAF.

For the summer of 2024, Korean Air has announced an expansion of international flights starting March 31. These include the resumption of services to four cities across China, Europe, and Southeast Asia and an increase in weekly frequencies on major routes.

Resumption of services

On April 2, South Korea’s flag carrier will resume thrice-weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Zurich, Switzerland. Then, from April 23, the airline will restart three weekly services between Seoul Incheon and Zhangjiajie, China. From the following day, another Chinese destination will be readded from Korean Air’s hub in Seoul Incheon. The airline will operate four weekly flights to Zhengzhou starting on April 24. Then, beginning on April 25, daily services on the Busan-Bangkok route will resume.

Increase in weekly frequencies

Korean Air has announced an increase in weekly flights between Seoul and Budapest from three to four. Up from three, the airline will also operate four daily services on the Incheon-Bangkok route. Similarly, the carrier has announced that it will fly three daily flights (up from two) between Incheon and Manila.

In January 2024, Korea’s flagship airline introduced two additional services on the Incheon-Bali route, taking the weekly frequencies count up to eleven. Lastly, the carrier has confirmed that it will increase flights from Incheon to Dallas, Texas, USA, from four weekly to daily.

NOTE: Photograph sourced from Boeing’s official Media Center.