Airbus delivers two Air Transat aircraft with SAF

Aerospace and defence company Airbus has delivered two new A321LR aircraft on lease that leverage sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Canadian carrier Air Transat.

The carrier received the delivery from aircraft leasing company AerCap.

These aircraft leveraged a 10% sustainable aviation fuel blend for a flight from Hamburg, Germany, to Montreal, Canada.

Air Transat president and general manager Jean-François Lemay said: “It is an honour for us and a sign of confidence from Airbus to be its first customer to take advantage of this new delivery option at its Hamburg plant.

“This initiative is part of our commitment to reducing our own carbon footprint while contributing to the achievement of the airline industry’s ambitious decarbonisation targets.”

For Airbus, the move is part of its strategy to encourage the usage of sustainable fuels in the aviation industry.

The fuel for Air Transat’s A321LR aircraft was supplied by Air bp and produced by Neste.

Since last December, Airbus successfully conducted SAF flights from Hamburg with its Beluga transport aircraft.

Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer said: “Sustainability and efficiency are essential for our customers and for Airbus. Sustainable aviation fuel developments will play a key role in reducing the environmental footprint of the aviation industry.

“By using sustainable aviation fuels on delivery flights with partners like AerCap and Air Transat, who are flying the aircraft from Hamburg to their Canadian home base nonstop, we take concrete action to contribute to a more sustainable aviation future.”

Earlier this month, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the International Energy Agency (IEA) to focus attention on SAF investment.