Boeing Unveils 777-200ER SAF Demonstrator

This marks the 10th year of the program, which boasts testing 230 projects on nine airplanes, including this year’s jet. Research on the various technologies has helped reduce carbon aircraft emissions, improve operational efficiency, and increase safety, according to Boeing. 

The company says historically about a third of its tested technologies have eventually been developed into operational Boeing products and services. 

Commercial airplanes and large business jets contribute to 10 percent of U.S. transportation emissions and 3 percent of the nation’s total greenhouse gas production, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Worldwide, aviation accounted for as much as 2.4 percent of total CO2 emissions in 2018. 

However, by 2050 commercial aircraft emissions could triple, based on projected growth of passenger air travel and air freight, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, unless mitigation plans in work by aircraft manufacturers and operators are put into effect.

"Boeing is committed to support our customers and enable the commercial aviation industry to meet our shared commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050," said Stan Deal, Boeing commercial airplanes president and CEO in a released statement. "The ecoDemonstrator program's rigorous testing of new technologies further enhances the environmental performance of our products and services and is invaluable to continuously improving safety.”

The 777 has been painted with a special ecoDemonstrator livery, celebrating the program’s 10th anniversary.

Projects to be ground and flight tested this summer include:

Previous ecoDemonstrator aircraft and Boeing’s partners include:

IATA and several major airlines have committed to achieving net- zero emissions in the coming decades, which helps drive programs by Boeing and other OEMs.

Last March, Boeing competitor, Airbus, flight tested an airliner with one engine using 100 percent SAF.

A month earlier, Airbus announced plans to develop a flight test demonstrator for a direct- combustion engine fueled by hydrogen in preparation for a zero-emission aircraft by 2035.