Finnair crossing Atlantic using biofuel

September 23, 2014, New York, N.Y. – Finnair will operate
its flight from Helsinki to New York on 23 September with an Airbus A330 using
environmentally sustainable biofuel, coinciding with the UN Climate Summit
taking place in New York on the same day.

Most of an airline’s environmental impact arises from
aircraft emissions during flight, and switching to a more sustainable fuel
source can reduce net CO2 emissions by between 50 and 80 per cent. The biofuel
mixture powering the flight to New York, provided by SkyNRG Nordic – a joint
venture between SkyNRG and Statoil Aviation – is partly manufactured from
cooking oil recycled from restaurants, an example of a biofuel alternative to
ordinary jet fuel that significantly reduces net greenhouse gas emissions while
also being sustainable in its own right. Finnair and its partners insist on the
cultivation of biofuel sources that neither compete with food production nor
damage biodiversity.

Aviation biofuel is a proven and exhaustively tested
technology – Finnair first flew with biofuel in 2011 – but at more than twice
the price of conventionally produced jet fuel, it is not yet economically
viable for any airline to operate with exclusively. This demonstration flight
is made possible thanks in part to cooperation with Airbus and SkyNRG Nordic.

“The UN Climate Summit is an important gathering to fight
climate change, and we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the climate
benefits of more widespread adoption of environmentally sustainable biofuels in
aviation,” says Finnair’s Vice President of Sustainable Development Kati
Ihamäki. “Finnair is committed to working further with industry partners and
government bodies alike to help develop the biofuel supply chain and bring down
the cost of sustainable biofuel for everyday use.”

“As air traffic contributes two per cent of all greenhouse
gas emissions, it is very important to have this trial with the use of
biofuels,” says Finland’s Minister for International Development Pekka
Haavisto. “If the price of oil rises and biofuels become cheaper, there will
hopefully be a day when we’ll be able to replace at least some of the fossil
fuels with fuels made of renewable and waste material. I’m happy that Finnair
is showing leadership in this development.”

“Finnair is a long-standing Airbus customer of almost 30
years and I am particularly proud to be collaborating with the airline for this
commercial flight,” says Andrea Debbané, Airbus Vice President of Environmental
Affairs. “ Airbus and Finnair share the aviation industry’s ambitions to reach
carbon neutral growth by combining the most modern and fuel-efficient aircraft
with optimised Air Traffic Management and operational procedures, while also
pushing for the commercial use of affordable sustainable jet fuels.”

“This flight is a warm up for a large offensive from our
side with our partners Statoil Aviation, Neste Oil and many others to
accelerate the local supply and production of sustainable and affordable jet
fuel for the Nordic countries,” says SkyNRG CEO Dirk Kronemeijer. “With common
effort – including crucial support from governments – and united purpose, we
can realize a sustainable and long term future for aviation.”

Along with its partners Finnair is also currently
investigating the possibility of establishing a biofuel hub at Helsinki
Airport. Finnair is active as well in the Nordic Initiative for Sustainable
Aviation, a group of airlines, airport operators, manufacturers and government
ministries working to accelerate the development of sustainable biofuel for
aviation in the Nordic countries.