In partnership with Respol, Iberia has today launched inaugural service from Madrid to Washington D.C. and Dallas/Fort Worth, and resumed service to San Francisco, using sustainable aviation fuel produced at Respol's Petronor refinery in Bilbao.
On Wednesday (June 1, 2022), Iberia announced the launch of inaugural flights from Madrid to Washington D.C. and Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as the resumption of service to San Francisco for the first time since the pandemic. In partnership with Respol, the flights were operated with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from waste at the Petronor refinery in Bilbao. All three of today’s flights were operated with a 288 passenger Airbus A330-200, featuring 19 Business Class seats and 269 in Tourist Class. Customers onboard today’s flights will also notice that crewmembers will be wearing the airline’s new uniforms designed by Teresa Helbig, and a renewed onboard experience. Flights to Washington D.C. and Dallas will operate four times weekly until October 29th, while Madrid-San Francisco service will operate three time weekly until September 30, 2022.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Iberia’s Executive Chairman, Javier Sánchez-Prieto, said,
“Aviation faces a huge challenge that can only be overcome by taking steps like today's, which promote the production of sustainable fuels in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices, so that we can continue moving forward in the green transition of the aviation sector.”
Also commenting on the biofuel collaboration, Respol’s CEO, Josu Jon Imaz, said,
“The aviation industry needs solutions, such as the use of biofuels, in order to continue with the decarbonization, process we have embarked on. Repsol’s and Iberia’s commitment is placing us at the forefront of this endeavor. In addition, it consolidates our position as a multi-energy company with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the first oil company to commit to this ambitious goal.”
The SAF initiative follows an agreement the carrier signed with Respol in July 2021, with the goal of making air travel more sustainable. Over the next two years, the companies will join forces to operate flights using up to 50 percent biofuel produced at Respol’s Cartagena plant, as well as synthetic fuel produced in Bilbao. Iberia also plans on using hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) to power their airport service vehicles.
Source: Iberia