Airbus seeks partnerships with Malaysian companies on sustainability efforts
22 May 2023
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is seeking new partnerships in Malaysia to work towards the decarbonisation of the aerospace sector in a cross-sectoral approach.
President Asia Pacific Anand Stanley said sustainability has become a critical factor for airlines around the world when making their fleet decisions, taking Malaysia Airlines’ and AirAsia’s migration to the A330 neo, A320 neo and A321 neo family as examples.
“Fleet renewal with the latest generation aircraft can bring an immediate reduction in fuel consumption and emissions of around 25 per cent.
“The next phase will be the increased use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and ultimately the use of new low energy sources such as hydrogen,” he said at a media roundtable here today.
Stanley also said Airbus is set to demonstrate its latest generation A220 aircraft, powered by a 10 per cent blend of SAF from Kuching to Langkawi, at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) 2023.
SAF is produced from sources such as used cooking oil, municipal waste or biomasses which do not compete with the food chain and are produced with no negative impact on the environment.
The fuel can reduce carbon dioxide (Co2) emissions by up to 80 per cent on a lifecycle basis, making it a key component in the aviation industry’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
Stanley said aircraft produced by Airbus are already capable of flying with up to 50 per cent SAF and the aim is to increase this to 100 per cent by 2030.
Therefore, for airlines to take full advantage of this, viable industrial systems need to be established to produce and commercialise these energy sources, he noted.
Commenting on the demand for aircraft in Southeast Asia (SEA), he said the volume is picking up and almost recovered to the pre-pandemic level, citing narrow-body single-aisle models remain as favourites among airlines operating in the region.
He reiterated Malaysia remained Airbus’ key market and the third largest in Asia after China and India.
It is also the manufacturer’s most extensive supplier base in SEA, with 14 local companies, producing structures, components and parts for the complete range of civil aircraft and the A400M military airlifter.
“Airbus has recently made a proposal to supply four H175 multipurpose helicopters to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to support maritime security operations,” he said.
The H175 is suitable for search and rescue, law enforcement, fire-fighting, border security, maritime patrol, emergency medical services, utility and offshore missions.
Source: Bernama
