With the business aviation industry’s continued focus on the acceptance and adoption of sustainable alternative, global fuel distributor Air BP (Booth C21) participated in the “Fueling the Future” event held ahead of this year’s EBACE. The company provided SAJF produced by Neste to Sweden’s Stockholm-Arlanda and France’s Caen-Carpiquet Airports to fuel the aircraft of seven business aviation customers and manufacturers heading to Geneva.
SAJF availability follows last month’s announcement that, as part of a collaboration agreement signed in October, Air BP and Neste are ready to supply sustainable fuel to airline and airport customers throughout Sweden this year. Air BP has supplied sustainable aviation fuel at more than 10 airports since 2014, including Norway’s Oslo Airport, where it was the first to supply SAJF through the existing airport fueling infrastructure.
The fuel, produced from non-palm, renewable raw materials, will produce up to 80 percent fewer emissions over its life cycle compared to conventional jet fuel. “Our industry’s ambitious carbon reduction targets will only be achieved with support from across the entire supply chain,” noted Irene Lores, the fuel provider’s global sales and marketing director for general aviation. “Initiatives like this give operators direct exposure to sustainable aviation fuel, helping us to overcome any obstacles in its adoption.”
At last year’s EBACE a coalition of industry organizations—including EBAA, NBAA, NATA, GAMA, and IBAC—released the Business Aviation Guide to the Use of Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel. Ahead of this year’s show, a media reception, educational session, and SAFJ fueling opportunity were held at the UK’s TAG Farnborough Airport. Tom Parsons, Air BP’s commercial development manager for low carbon, participated in a panel discussion on the use of the fuel there, and Thorbjörn Larsson, the company’s general manager for the UK and the Nordic region, is to participate in a similar panel to be held on Tuesday at EBACE in the Innovation Zone.
“In decreasing emissions from aviation, sustainable aviation fuel represents the only viable alternative to fossil liquid fuels for powering commercial aircraft,” explained Neste president and CEO Peter Vanacker, adding that his company is pleased to be able to offer sustainable aviation fuel to the business aviation community. “Collaborating with Air BP, we can find the best ways of developing robust supply chains to ensure that sustainable aviation fuel is more widely accessible to aviation customers.”