Airbus is escalating the standards for eco-friendly aircraft fuel
Airbus, the global aerospace manufacturer, significantly increased its use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in 2023, accounting for 2% of all SAF produced worldwide. This represents a doubling of the amount used in the previous year.
One of the key collaborations that contributed to this increase was Airbus's Memorandum of Understanding with China National Aviation Fuel (CNAF). This partnership aimed to strengthen Chinese-European collaboration on SAF production and standard formulation.
Airbus also established a strategic partnership with DG fuels in the United States to support new technology and fuel production. This partnership is expected to further boost SAF usage in the coming years.
IndiGo, a major airline, was the first customer to take advantage of this offer for a new A320neo delivery, marking a significant milestone in the adoption of SAF by commercial airlines.
In addition to corporate air travel, Airbus is also using SAF in its oversized operations, such as the transport of the Beluga, a transport vehicle used by Airbus, which has been flying daily to move parts from manufacturing sites to final assembly lines since December 2019, using SAF.
Airbus has also been working with airlines Volotea and AirCorsica to supply SAF for internal business travel. The company has made a significant contribution to the development of local SAF production in Australia through a partnership with Qantas and the Queensland Government.
The increased use of SAF has led to a reduction of CO emissions by 23,587 tonnes. Airbus is using SAF as a key contributor in the roadmap to decarbonise.
In terms of plans for 2024 and beyond, Airbus is working closely with airline partners to integrate SAF into flight operations and develop tailored offers that incorporate SAF on a larger scale, starting with domestic markets like Germany. The company is also researching ways to track actual SAF uptake in its fleet more precisely as part of its ESG and sustainability reporting efforts.
Airbus is also participating in industry collaborations to promote SAF use for commercial flight operations as part of a broader emissions reduction strategy. Collaborations with other industry players such as Air France-KLM and Total illustrate Airbus’s broader engagement in promoting SAF use for long-haul flights powered by SAF produced locally.
Airbus has joined initiatives such as the French "SAF in Occitanie" and the Japanese "Act for Sky" to anticipate and project future SAF volumes. The company has started offering up to 5% pure SAF, at no extra cost, to support airlines' decarbonisation journey.
Airbus Helicopters delivery flights are routinely performed with SAF when available, with a target of almost half a million litres of neat SAF in 2024. In 2023, Airbus delivered more aircraft with SAF than any other year.
Airbus's commitment to SAF is evident in its partnerships and initiatives, as well as its operational use of SAF in corporate travel and oversized operations. As the company continues to work towards its sustainability goals, it is expected that the use of SAF will continue to grow.
[1] Airbus (2023). Airbus and Lufthansa Group announce corporate fare with SAF for business travel. Retrieved from https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2023/03/airbus-and-lufthansa-group-announce-corporate-fare-with-saf-for-business-travel.html
[2] Airbus (2023). Airbus and Air France-KLM sign agreement to purchase SAF for employee travel. Retrieved from https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2023/04/airbus-and-air-france-klm-sign-agreement-to-purchase-saf-for-employee-travel.html
[3] Airbus (2023). Airbus and ICAO sign declaration of intent to assess South America's SAF feedstocks and production. Retrieved from https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2023/04/airbus-and-icao-sign-declaration-of-intent-to-assess-south-americas-saf-feedstocks-and-production.html
- Airbus is collaborating with Lufthansa Group to offer corporate fares with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for business travel, aiming to decrease carbon emissions and support the growth of renewable energy in the aviation industry. [Source: Airbus (2023)]
- Airbus with Air France-KLM has signed an agreement to purchase SAF for employee travel, further demonstrating its commitment to environmental-science and decreasing CO emissions in the aviation sector. [Source: Airbus (2023)]
- Airbus, along with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), has signed a declaration of intent to evaluate South America's SAF feedstocks and production, with the goal of increasing SAF usage in the region and reducing carbon footprints in the global aerospace industry. [Source: Airbus (2023)]
- Besides focusing on large-scale SAF usage in airplanes, Airbus is also considering integrating data-and-cloud-computing technology to track the actual SAF uptake in their fleet more accurately, as part of their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting efforts and their broader commitment towards the environment.
