ITA Airways to expands use of SAF from Rome airport

In Italy, Rome Fiumicino Airport is increasing the availability of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), an aviation biofuel made from renewable raw materials capable of supporting the reduction of CO2 emissions in the aviation sector.

The Leonardo da Vinci airport has become the first Italian airport to employ SAF, allowing ITA Airways to use it on the airline’s first 10 flights on 15 October 2021. From tomorrow, it will further increase distribution so that, throughout 2022, ITA Airways will be capable of powering two routes (Rome-Venice and Rome-Barcelona) as part of its decarbonization project.

Around 3,000 metric tons of Jet fuel + Eni SAF (fuel blended with renewable raw material components) came from the Eni refinery in Taranto to the port of Civitavecchia, where it was unloaded at the coastal depot of SODECO (part of the Ludoil Group), which directly supplies Rome Fiumicino Airport. This is a further step towards the expansion of Aeroporti di Roma’s commitment to sustainability and decarbonization of the sector, given that Rome Fiumicino was the first airport in Europe to obtain the highest Airport Carbon Accreditation 4+ “Transition” from ACI Europe for CO2 reduction. The group has also confirmed that it will drive its greenhouse emissions down to zero by 2030, well ahead of the original sector targets. 

At present, the jet fuel + Eni SAF from the Taranto refinery is produced by feeding conventional plants with 0.5% UCO. The organic component of the approximately 3,000 tons available at Fiumicino airport saves more than 50 tons of CO2 compared to an equivalent load of fossil fuel products.