Starting this past Tuesday, the Spanish airline Iberojet began its flights from Madrid, Spain, to Juan Santamaría International Airport using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
With this flight from Madrid to Costa Rica, Iberojet launches the first phase of its implementation plan for the use of SAF. In this way, it anticipates the legal obligations to use 2% of this type of fuel established for the year 2025.
Sustainable aviation fuel is produced from raw materials of renewable origin. Likewise, it allows reducing approximately 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions that are generated in its life cycle compared to that of conventional fossil origin.
Details of the flight
The flight chosen to begin the use of sustainable fuel took off this Tuesday from Madrid to Costa Rica and was carried out on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft.This aircraft was built with lighter materials, more efficient engines and cabin configuration to reduce fuel consumption above most aircraft in its category.
Additionally, this aircraft model was designed with features that improve passenger comfort and reduce the effects of jetlag or time difference.This is thanks to the fact that it has a lower cabin pressure compared to other aircraft, LED lighting, better humidity control, larger windows and a quieter cabin.
Reactions of the ICT and Iberojet
“We thank Iberojet for choosing Costa Rica to carry out this first flight from Madrid with sustainable fuel, confirming that tourism and sustainability go hand in hand. “What Iberojet does is consistent with the country’s vision of Costa Rica, which is to base our tourism actions on the country’s natural attractions to build a society with better living conditions, especially thinking about future generations,” said William Rodríguez, minister of Tourism.
José Ignacio Lugo, deputy general director of Iberojet, expressed: “this is the beginning of our new ESG Strategy 2026, together with Ávoris, in which Iberojet has as one of its priority objectives reducing the environmental impact of its activities thanks to the use of SAF on their journeys.
“For the airline, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a strategic priority. For this reason, we will follow all European Union (EU) regulations regarding the decarbonization of aviation and we will anticipate them whenever feasible,” he said. Iberojet flies to Costa Rica since July 2021 with two weekly flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays. From Spain, more than 41,000 Spanish tourists have visited Costa Rica by air from January to September 2023. The Iberian nation is the fourth largest source of European travelers after Germany, France and the United Kingdom
