Germany’s Mönchengladbach Airport (EDLN) is now the first in the country to offer continuous supplies of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). While the renewable fuel has been offered at other German airports in the past, Düsseldorf-area EDLN has contracted with refiner TotalEnergies to provide regularly scheduled deliveries of the blended SAF, produced via the HEFA pathway from animal fats and used cooking oil. It will be dispensed on the field by Mönchengladbach-based FBO Rheinland Air Service (RAS).
“As the European dealer of Honda Aircraft and Daher Aircraft for Germany and Austria, Rheinland Air Service is committed to carry out all HondaJet ferry flights and demonstration flights through RAS with SAF,” said company CEO Johannes Graf von Schaesberg. “The same applies to Daher’s TBM and Kodiak aircraft.”
At an event this week at the airport, Oliver Krischer—North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport—participated in the ceremonial first refueling of an aircraft with SAF.
“Air traffic must become climate neutral; that is why we are supporting measures and projects that make flying without fossil fuels possible,” he stated, adding that electric propulsion will play a large role along with SAF use. “It is pioneering that Mönchengladbach Airport has now created the possibility of refueling aircraft with SAF.”