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As the OEM for several Canadian aircraft types, including the legacy de Havilland and Canadair aerial firefighter fleets, Viking Air of Victoria, B.C. is now endorsing the use of sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) in its family of utility aircraft equipped with turbine engines.
Viking’s endorsement of SAJF is a progressive move towards long-term sustainability due to its lower environmental impact while providing the same performance characteristics as Jet A.
SAJF is a completely transparent synthetic replacement to conventional jet fuel that can be used in any turbine-powered aircraft and is produced from non-petroleum components such as cooking oil, plant oils, solid municipal waste, sugars, purpose-grown biomass and agricultural residues.
The Viking aircraft that will benefit from the use and availability of SAJF include the PT6-powered DHC-2T Turbo Beaver, DHC-3T Turbo Otter, DHC-6 Twin Otter and DHC-7 Dash 7. The PW123AF-powered Canadair CL-215T, CL-415, and next generation Viking CL-515 aerial firefighter multi-role amphibian will also benefit from the use of SAJF.
“We view SAJF as a positive move towards a greener, more sustainable way of operating our aircraft for generations to come,” said Robert Mauracher, Viking’s executive vice-president of Sales & Marketing. “With the demonstrated longevity inherent in our fleet of aircraft, it’s important to consider operational constraints that may arise in the future, including availability of fuel sources. Use of SAJF not only provides our operators with an alternative to Jet A that lowers environmental impact, it will also be available for the duration of the aircraft’s lifetime.”
“Pratt & Whitney is proud to supply Viking with engines that run on sustainable fuel and we support their efforts towards greener operations,” said Irene Makris, vice-president, Sales & Marketing, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “We are committed to ensuring that our engines are designed, produced and operated to minimize their environmental impacts throughout their life cycle.”
