European budget airline Wizz Air has announced plans to trial the use of alternative aviation fuel on two of its routes in collaboration with aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

The Hungary-based airline will use “sustainable” aviation fuel (SAF) supplied by Cepsa and distributed by World Fuel Services for the trial, which will be conducted on its routes from Barcelona and Brussels Charleroi to its base at Budapest.

Wizz Air is also launching a survey asking passengers about their understanding of alternative aviation fuels and how aviation is tackling sustainability.

The move comes as the EU implements its RefuelEU Aviation Regulation requiring airlines to increase their use of alternative aviation fuels for flights departing from EU airports, known as the “blending mandate”, from 2025. The regulation calls for airlines to use at least 10 per cent of these alternative fuels in their engines by 2030.

Yvonne Moynihan, Wizz Air’s corporate and ESG officer, added: “SAF is a key enabler and that is why Wizz Air supports this pioneering EU policy and has made significant strategic investments into SAF as a result.

“Through this project, we are not only testing SAF operations but also gathering insights from our passengers on their awareness of levers to decarbonise aviation.”

During the trial, Wizz said it planned to use up to 5 per cent alternative fuel on flights from Barcelona El Prat Airport to Budapest and up to 10 per cent on flights from Brussels Charleroi to Budapest.

Julie Kitcher, Airbus’chief sustainability officer and communications added: “Fuel-efficient aircraft and SAF will provide the majority of the emissions reductions our industry needs to make by 2050, which is why working together – with partners like Wizz Air – to efficiently integrate SAF across airline operations is such an important step to be taking today.”