Budget airline easyJet and aircraft manufacturer Airbus are to trial a new corporate partnership which aims to “stimulate” the production of alternative aviation fuels.
The two companies said the initiative would examine how airlines and corporates can share the cost of alternative fuels in a “mutually beneficial way” to create extra demand and drive down the cost of biofuels, which is typically between three and five times more expensive than traditional jet fuel.
The project will involve easyJet’s corporate clients, starting with Airbus from this month, buying a specific amount of “sustainable” aviation fuel (SAF) as a way of addressing their carbon footprint from business travel. It will also include validating the use of SAF certificates that allow corporates to claim the subsequent Scope 3 emissions reductions.
The easyJet-Airbus trial includes buying 106 tonnes of neat SAF, which would be equivalent to the fuel needed to operate easyJet’s flights between Toulouse and Bristol for three months using a SAF blend of 30 per cent.
The route has been chosen because it links two of Airbus’ major production facilities and is regularly used by employees, with the biofuel delivered to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport.
Thomas Haagensen, group markets director at easyJet, said: “Business travellers make up around 14 per cent of our customer base, relying on airlines to travel efficiently.
“Our corporate partners are always looking to reduce the impact of their flying and this model will help both with their carbon emissions reporting while stimulating growth of the SAF industry which will be critical to achieving the industry’s net zero ambitions.”
Julien Manhes, Airbus’ head of sustainable aviation fuels and carbon dioxide removal, added: “Today, SAF is available in small quantities, so we need to upscale the supply and close the price gap with traditional fuel. One of the ways to do that is to create a clear demand signal for the market.
“This trial is about building a resilient SAF economy because we have the technology, we have the aircraft, we just need more SAF.”
Learn more about alternative aviation fuels by reading BTN Europe’s Navigating towards net zero sustainability report.