The German non-profit ADAC Air Rescue has successfully completed the world's first long-term project using Sustainable Aviation Fuel in air rescue operations.

The most important results are significantly reduced emissions of ultrafine particles, commonly known as soot, as well as the unrestricted performance and operational readiness of the two SAF fuelled helicopters. Negative effects on the aircraft's technology and engines were not measurable during the entire three-year research project.

The research project, initiated and funded by ADAC Air Rescue, was conducted in close collaboration with the German Aerospace Center, the engine manufacturers Safran Helicopter Engines from France and RTX's Pratt & Whitney Canada, as well as the helicopter manufacturer Airbus Helicopters.

The ADAC rescue helicopters "Christoph Rheinland" from Cologne and "Christoph Europa 1" from Aachen flew a total of more than 1,800 hours with SAF blend in the tank, a mixture of up to 38 percent SAF from sustainable raw materials such as recycled vegetable fats and conventional JET-A1 kerosene.