Friday, July 25, 2025
Swiss aviation company Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has made a historic move towards sustainable flying with the introduction of the world’s first commercial flight using Synhelion’s solar power-to-liquid process for aviation fuel. The achievement monitored on a Hamburg-Zurich flight marks a significant victory for eco-friendly flying going forward. One of the heaviest of carbon-emitting industries, aviation’s transition to the use of cleaner fuel options is a key part of the worldwide battle against climate change. The fact that SWISS has been able to successfully blend solar fuel into its system is a major development that could possibly open the door to widespread use of sustainable aviation fuels in the years ahead.
The solar fuel was developed by the Cleantech Synhelion company based in Switzerland and was developed at the company’s DAWN facility in the heart of Switzerland on solar energy at their DAWN facility. The fuel – produced from solar and water in a reaction powered by electricity – was subsequently refined in Northern Germany, where SWISS promptly dispensed with it with the aid of the fuel supply system at Hamburg Airport. It’s a drop in the aviation fuel ocean now—a mere 190 liters of solar-jet fuel, or well below 7 percent of the amount typically needed to fly a Hamburg-to-Zurich trip—and yet it’s so much. This is the first time that any solar process has been able to monitor the production of solar aviation fuel from water, CO2, and light and show it can really work and could be expanded to commercial use to become the flight fuel of the future.
Sustainable Aviation: The Role of Solar Fuel
Synhelion’s groundbreaking solar fuel is based on concentrated solar energy, fossil-free, producing syngas (synthetic gas), which is subsequently converted into synthetic crude oil. The oil is processed into Jet-A1 aviation fuel, the same as that derived from fossil sources, and so can be used directly, without any change to existing infrastructure. This makes solar jet fuel not only an environmentally friendly solution, but also an immediately feasible one for integration into the aviation industry’s existing infrastructures.
And to top it all off, solar jet fuel is great for cutting back greenhouse gas emissions. According to a third-party life cycle assessment, Synhelion’s fuel solution meets the requirements of the European Union (EU) Renewable Energy Directive and demonstrates a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 70% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel. Given this, solar-derived aviation fuel is a potent weapon for reducing the environmental footprint of aviation, particularly in its journey to net-zero.
“SWISS’s successful integration of solar jet fuel as part of its scheduled flight operations is a victory not only for the airline, but for the entire aviation industry. It’s a tangible example of how ‘new’ and ‘sustainable’ don’t have to be mutually exclusive as we dream of a cleaner future in aviation. This journey towards commercial deployment of this technology is just starting now, and the cooperation between SWISS and Synhelion signifies an ambition to make breakthroughs for the next generation.
A Pioneering Partnership
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has been a key sponsor of Synhelion’s solar fuel tech development since 2020 to help the technology scale and become commercially viable. In 2022, SWISS deepened this commitment by making an investment in Synhelion, marking the airline’s continued support of sustainable solutions for aviation. This is a long-standing relationship that has played a vital role in the breakthrough of solar aviation fuel to the market, and the successful incorporation of the company’s product into SWISS’s technological environment marks a key milestone in their history together.
The following steps in this cooperation include obtaining EU sustainability certification for the fuel and its production; commercial-scale production is scheduled in 2027. It is an ambitious but realistic target, given that the construction of a production facility on an industrial scale is already underway. Continued scholarly investigation, technological engineering, and investment in large order solutions will make Synhelion a key player in the future of aviation fuel.
The Future of Aviation Fuel
The aviation sector is under increasing pressure to lower its carbon emissions and transition to eco-friendly energy sources. Electric planes and hydrogen planes may be the future, but in the meantime, transitioning to sustainable fuels such as solar jet fuel is a crucial intermediary step. Solar aviation fuel is a cleaner option for the aviation industry, which can be a step towards achieving net-zero emissions without the overhaul of existing infrastructure.
Looking ahead, the SWISS and Synhelion partnership is being seen as a model for other airlines and clean-tech companies to emulate. SWISS’s breakthrough solar jet fuel work is proof that a sustainable fuels future is possible for even the most difficult and carbon-heavy sectors like aviation. This is just the tip of the solar-powered iceberg, and with further development and funding, solar jet fuel could soon be the way of the future in taking the aviation industry away from the damaging reliance on fossil fuels and help cut emissions drastically.
Conclusion: The Future Air Travel Industry is Sustainable
The fact that investor-backed Swiss has become the first airline to fly with Synhelion’s solar jet fuel, could represent a major step forward for renewable aviation. This discovery proves that it’s not just mathematically possible to make solar fuel for jets, it’s technologically possible to do so. And the pathway to revolutionary new aviation fuels has suddenly become a sizzling reality. As airlines strive for more eco-friendly options, the partnership between SWISS and Synhelion is further proof that the future of air travel can be cutting-edge and, importantly, sustainable.
The solar jet fuel is a genuine solution contributing to a significantly lower emission mechanism, which in turn will be stronger in coping with the aviation industry’s ambitious environmental goals, thus rendering flying more environmentally sustainable. In the near term, the next couple of years will be crucial as additional airlines consider renewable fuels, and should Synhelion’s solar jet fuel witnesses widespread deployment, it could become a key part of the new aviation reality.
(Source: Swiss International Air Lines, Synhelion, Lufthansa Group)
