Hokkaido Air System Co.’s (HAC) latest ATR 42-600 left Toulouse bound for Japan, with a brand new One World Alliance livery, and using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for the first leg of its ferry flight.
The ATR has proven to be successful in connecting communities across the Japanese archipelago, thanks to its effectiveness at taking off and landing on short runways. This is the third ATR 42-600 that the airline has received since its first delivery in December 2019 and becomes the 14th ATR-600 to operate in Japan.
Another reason for the aircraft’s Japanese success is its fuel burn efficiency in a country which is extremely diligent in reducing its carbon dioxide emissions. ATR aircraft burn up to 40% less fuel than a similarly sized regional jet and therefore emit up to 40% less CO2. Further emission savings are possible by fueling the aircraft with SAF and ATR recently announced a project to fly an aircraft fueled with 100% SAF. A demonstration flight is planned for Spring 2022 with a target of 2025 for the possibility of using 100% SAF on commercial ATR flights.
