In a collaboration to strengthen sustainability in aviation, Boeing is partnering with NASA and United Airlines for in-flight testing to measure how sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) affects contrails and non-carbon emissions.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has partnered with the National Aerospace and Space Administration of the United States as well as United Airlines for in-flight testing of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

In a press statement, Boeing says that the collaboration will test how SAF affects contrails and non-carbon emissions, in addition to reducing the fuel’s life cycle climate impact.

The statement adds that Boeing’s second ecoDemonstrator Explorer, a 737-10 destined for United Airlines, will fly with 100 pc SAF and conventional jet fuel in separate tanks and alternate fuels during testing. NASA’s DC-8 Airborne Science Lab will fly behind the commercial jet and measure emissions produced by each type of fuel and contrail ice particles. NASA satellites will capture images of contrail formation as part of the testing.

“We are honoured to collaborate with NASA, United Airlines, and other valued partners on research that will strengthen the industry’s understanding of the benefits of SAF beyond reducing carbon emissions. We have solved hard problems before, and if we continue to take meaningful actions, I am confident we’ll achieve a more sustainable aerospace future, together,” says Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Raymond.

“Flight testing is complex and resource-intensive, yet it’s the gold standard for understanding how sustainable aerospace innovations affect changes in contrails and climate. This is why we’re bringing NASA’s DC-8 to bear on this collaboration, where the valuable flight data will improve our predictive models,” adds Rich Wahls, NASA mission integration manager for the Sustainable Flight National Partnership.

The researchers aim to understand how advanced fuels, engine combustor designs and other technologies may reduce atmospheric warming, says the statement.

It adds that tests will assess how SAF affects the characteristics of contrails, the persistent condensation trails produced when airplanes fly through cold, humid air. While their full impact is not yet understood, some research has suggested certain contrails can trap heat in the atmosphere.

“We at GE Aerospace proudly support this groundbreaking research collaboration that will deepen our scientific understanding of the impact of SAF on emissions for a more sustainable future of flight,” says Mohamed Ali, Vice President of Engineering of GE Aerospace, an aircraft engine manufacturer.

“To achieve climate-compatible aviation, we need close international cooperation. The German Aerospace Centre has decades of experience in research on the climate impact of the entire aviation system by advancing measurement technology and simulations. The continuation of transatlantic cooperation now finds a new summit and underlines the international commitment to reduce the climate impact from aviation’s CO2 and non-CO2 effects,” adds Markus Fischer, DLR Divisional Board Member for Aeronautics.

The statement adds that the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program was expanded this year to include Explorer airplanes focused on short-term, specific test projects. Boeing and NASA conducted SAF emissions ground testing on an Alaska Airlines 737-9 in 2021 and ecoDemonstrator 777-200ER and 787-10 flight-test jets in 2022.