Israeli airline El Al has welcomed its first flight to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) when Boeing delivered a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Tel Aviv.

El Al’s newest Dreamliner used 30 per cent SAF on the flight from Boeing’s factory in Seattle to Israel last week – the airline’s first use of the sustainable fuel, which can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with traditional jet fuel.

The carrier has also signed up for IATA’s Environmental Assessment Programme, which assesses airlines’ commitments to improving their environmental and sustainability performance.

Dina Ben Tal Ganancia, CEO of El Al Israel Airlines, said: “The historic arrival of our first jet using SAF marks another important milestone in our strategic plan – expanding and renewing our fleet and strengthening our commitment to sustainability.”

The latest Boeing 787-8 aircraft takes El Al’s total Dreamliner fleet up to 16, which it operates on services to Europe, North America and Asia.