Airbus, in its latest commitment towards sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) usage is offering up to 5%-pure SAF free of charge to customers departing from the Toulouse and Hamburg delivery centres. The first airline to benefit from this offer was Indigo, as the new A320neo took off from Toulouse on 3 July. To achieve this objective, Airbus has secured 6,805 hectolitres (HL) of SAF with different blend ratios, ranging from 30 to 49%. This will create around 18,000 HL, or 475,500 US gallons, of blended SAF for 2023 alone.
Airbus has already committed to using 10%-pure SAF in its commercial aircraft and helicopter internal operations.
Airbus customers ferrying aircraft from Tiajin and Mobile delivery centres are already offered varying concentrations of SAF
“Naturally Airbus’ ambition goes beyond 2023. We’re working to secure SAF supplies into next year and beyond, for ferry flights departing all our delivery centres,” commented Julien Manhes, head of SAF and fuel-efficiency, Airbus. “We’re sending a strong signal to our customers, the fuel ecosystem, and the wider sector: SAF has arrived.”
Airbus recently announced a partnership with LanzaJet to support building SAF facilities which will use LanzaJet’s proprietary Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology pathway and accelerate the certification and adoption of 100% drop-in SAF, which would allow existing aircraft to fly without fossil fuels.