Williams International has completed a successful flight test of its FJ44-4 engine using 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on Williams’ experimental flying testbed. The flight was conducted from Williams’ flight operations centre in Pontiac, Michigan and flew to points in northern Michigan with a total 3.5 hour flight time at a cruise altitude of FL450. This flight test follows extensive material compatibility and endurance testing that validated engine performance and durability using 100 per cent SAF.

Chief test pilot Robert Lambert notes: “The flight was uneventful and the engine performed flawlessly; it did not even seem to notice that it was burning sustainable fuel.”

This successful flight marks another step in the Williams Blue Planet initiative to significantly reduce the environmental impact of business aviation by driving to a carbon-neutral product lifecycle.

“We have shown that Williams’ engines can utilise 100 per cent SAF to decarbonise business aviation,” says Gregg Williams, chairman, president and CEO of Williams International, and co-pilot of the flight test. “The next critical step is to accelerate the production of SAF to make it more widely available and affordable.”