Unique sustainable flight flies into Edmonton International Airport

Saturday afternoon KLM Flights from Amsterdam landed at Edmonton International Airport (EIA). From the outside, this plane looks like a regular flight, but in reality it is much more efficient.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines President and CEO Pieter Elbers said it was the airline’s first flight of its kind, setting a record for the largest number of uses. sustainable aviation fuel on a commercial flight.

“Using this different fuel, our CO2 emissions are much lower.”

The plane carried 2% less fuel but had 76 more passengers than usual. The company says C02 emissions per passenger equates to about 26% less C02 emissions.

KLM flight is a long way for Skyteam Sustainable Flight Challenge. Sixteen airlines are participating in the friendly competition and the goal is to take steps to make the most sustainable flight possible.

“We share many of the same values, and share the same ambition and drive to develop a sustainable aviation industry,” said Elbers.

EIA President Tom Ruth said he was honored that the airline chose the capital of Alberta.

“This is like a dream come true. It’s for our region but also for our future. Think about our kids and grandchildren, about what we’re doing, and set an example of leadership,” Ruth said.

Flight doesn’t stop at fuel to make it more sustainable. Ruth was on board and said everything from take-off to supplies used was carefully planned.

“As we were about to take off, instead of using the engine to get us to the taxiway, there was a remote vehicle that took us to the taxiway,” said Ruth.

“Some of the things on the plane are light so you don’t burn as much emissions as a lighter plane would.

“The blankets have no plastic on them, it saves about 40 tons of plastic a year.”

It also uses digital products to provide information. Passengers were asked to choose their meals ahead of time to reduce waste and weight, and the airline worked with air traffic control to avoid any detours.

Frans Huisman was the captain of the flight. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the industry. Pilots are always looking for the most efficient route, he said, but he never thought he could fly such a sustainable plane.

“We basically flew the most perfect route, the most optimal route from Amsterdam to Edmonton. To plan that, all the air traffic control centers cooperated and during the flight we were able to move slightly to pick up all the wind patterns to further optimize their flight. me,” Huisman said.

“We’ve flown over Greenland and there’s a lot of ice there and it feels great when you’re flying in a biofuel-powered plane.”

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between KLM and EIA for further cooperation on sustainability.