With sustainability a key focus at this year’s EBACE, Avfuel played a role in providing sustainable fuel (SAF) for aircraft that headed to the business aviation show in Geneva. It collaborated with three major business aircraft manufacturers—Dassault Falcon Jet, Embraer Executive Jets, and Textron Aviation—to provide their flight departments with Neste SAF before their transatlantic flights, with respective delivery locations in Little Rock, Arkansas (KLIT); Melbourne, Florida (KMLB); and Wichita, Kansas (KICT).
With an average 30 percent SAF blend ratio, those EBACE-designated fuel loads provided a 76-tonne reduction in life cycle carbon emissions—equivalent to the emissions from using 176 barrels of oil. In addition to the physical deliveries, the company also arranged with Atlantic Aviation to provide SAF reporting benefits through the book-and-claim process for Geneva-bound aircraft departing its FBO at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York.
A major SAF distributor for business aviation in the U.S. with 13 locations receiving continuous supplies, Avfuel is working with partner Neste to expand its network and navigate the challenges for providing SAF in Europe. “Sustainability is now at the core of our operations—it’s not just another selling point or a mere ideal,” explained Marci Ammerman, the fuel provider’s v-p of marketing. “We are profoundly committed to bettering the health of our world by identifying and adopting green alternatives.”
At EBACE, the global fuel supplier has kicked off its 50th-anniversary celebration. The company, which numbers more than 3,000 fueling locations worldwide, has brought members of its FBO network this week to the show in Geneva to meet with attendees. Included is Avflight, which has 24 FBOs in the U.S., Canada, and Europe; Duncan Aviation, which offers extensive maintenance and ground handling services; Castle & Cooke, with facilities in California and Hawaii; and North Dakota facilities Fargo Jet Center and Overland Aviation, both U.S. entry ports on great circle routes from Europe.
At its EBACE booth (N72), the company is also introducing two new European sales representatives. Patrick Perra, sales contractor for Sweden, joins from Air bp where he was manager of general aviation and military accounts for the UK and Nordics, while Lucy Steele, operations officer at Avflight Belfast City Airport (EGAC), makes her transition to sales support officer for European sales.
“As Avfuel’s international presence has grown, so has the needs of our customers,” said senior v-p of sales Joel Hirst. “Adding Patrick and Lucy to our sales team will help support this market segment as international expansion continues to be a priority for Avfuel in 2023 and beyond.”