Firefly Operates First International Passenger Flight Using Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Seletar, Singapore, 20 September 2022: Firefly, an airline under Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), today operated its first international passenger flight using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on the ATR 72-500 aircraft from Seletar Airport (XSP) to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) following the success of its first domestic passenger flight flown to Penang from Subang recently. Flight FY3131 departed from XSP to SZB at4.45 pm local time with 70 passengers onboard. 

As part of the inaugural event, The Honourable Datuk Seri Ir. Dr. Wee Ka Siong, Minister of Transport Malaysia, The High Commissioner of Malaysia in Singapore, His Excellency Dato' Dr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar and delegates joined a tour of the NESTE Singapore refinery located in Tuas, where it produces renewable products serving customers in Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific region.

SAF is produced 100% from sustainably sourced, renewable waste and residue raw materials, blended with conventional jet fuel and certified to meet ASTM jet fuel specifications. SAF has been shown to provide significant benefits to the environment as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by up to 80% over the fuel’s life cycle compared to traditional jet fuel.

Philip See, Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Firefly said, “Delivering socially responsible and environmentally focused service is one of our key priorities in sustaining the aviation industry and accelerating the global call for climate action. The commencement of Firefly’s first international passenger flight powered by SAF marks a significant milestone in our continuous efforts to build a more sustainable operating environment and accelerate collective efforts toward achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.We remain steadfast in our commitment to work towards a future that protects the environment and communities in which we operate, underpinned by our MAG Sustainability Blueprint.”

Sami Jauhiainen, Vice President APAC, Renewable Aviation at Neste said, “We are pleased to help Firefly and MAG deliver a more sustainable travel experience for their customers by using our Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel. It is great to see the aviation industry and countries in the Asia-Pacific region setting increasingly ambitious emission reduction targets, and Neste is fully committed to supporting them on this journey. We are proud to host the delegates from the Malaysian and Singaporean governments and MAG at our Singapore refinery, where we are increasing our SAF production capacity to 1 million tons by the end of the first quarter in 2023, ready to support the Asia-Pacific and global aviation markets.”

As a pioneer in using SAF for flights in Malaysia, MAG airlines have since operated three (3) flights using SAF. This includes the first SAF commercial cargo flight MH7979 from Amsterdam (AMS) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) in December 2021. Malaysia Airlines first passenger flight using SAF, on flight MH603 from KUL to Singapore(SIN) and followed by Firefly’s first domestic passenger flight using the ATR 72-500, launched during Selangor Aviation Show 2022.SAF flight is part of initiatives under the MAG Sustainability Blueprint launched in 2021by MAG to champion sustainability with the aim of promoting socio-economic development and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Blueprint includes other areas under the Economic, Governance, Safety and Security, Environmental and Social pillars.

MAG, the parent company of national carrier Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MAS wings, and AMAL by Malaysia Airlines, is committed to championing sustainability by working closely with related agencies, including government bodies, to build a SAF ecosystem in Malaysia. As the nation’s flag bearer, MAG looks forward to driving more initiatives to achieve the aim to use of SAF as the cleaner and more viable energy option for regular flights. Firefly aims to become a community airline offering better value and convenience to the customer while also looking to be a more responsible, efficient, and effective organisation, creating a greener and safer environment for every stakeholder. For more information and to stay updated on the latest news, visit Firefly's official website and social media.