Bombardier has signed a multiyear deal with aviation services company Signature Aviation for the purchase of enough sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to cover all of its flight operations. The agreement was signed at the 2022 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition and is slated to begin on Jan. 1, 2023. It will use the Signature Renew book and claim system, which is designed to allow customers to purchase fuel at airports without access to SAF and have the amount credited, then used at an airport where it is already available.
“Signature Renew’s Book & Claim program is business aviation’s most pragmatic approach to making the lowest overall carbon intensity SAF quickly and easily accessible,” said Signature Aviation CEO Tony Lefebvre. “Over the last two years, Signature has grown our SAF supply points to 17 global airports, or around 10% of our total network of private aviation terminals. But until we reach the milestone of SAF at every one of our terminals’ fuel farms, Book & Claim gives critical coverage to gaps in supply while immediately taking greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere.”
Bombardier’s flight operations include production testing and certification flights, flights to relocate new aircraft for completion activities, customer demonstration flights and after-service check flights. The company emphasized that SAF is currently only used in blends of up to 50 percent with conventional fuel, noting that the most commonly available blend is 30 percent SAF and 70 percent conventional fuel. Bombardier estimates that the move to SAF will reduce annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fuel use in its flight operations by around 25 percent.
From the press release from Airbus Corporate jets today–via Aviation Week:
“Fifty-eight of 100 senior U.S. executives surveyed say they expect the use of SAF in the private aviation sector will increase “significantly” over the next five years, with a further 32% forecasting at least a “slight increase.” All of the companies surveyed had annual revenues in excess of $500 million.”
So–going from ZERO SAF to using JUST A LITTLE counts as a “significant increase.” Talk about “SPIN!”
This coming on top of the NBAA announcement that 16,000 gallons (TWO truckloads) would be specially trucked in for the event (at what cost for diesel fuel for the special trucks–vs. the pipeline Jet-A?) Given that these operators us AirBus Corporate Jets–that means perhaps 10 airplanes got the stuff (assuming it wasn’t rationed).
Another example of “spin”–
“It will use the Signature Renew book and claim system, which is designed to allow customers to purchase fuel at airports without access to SAF and have the amount credited, then used at an airport where it is already available.”
So you show up at a Signature that doesn’t offer SAF–and put on regular Jet-A–then when you DO find a Signature with SAF, YOU GET CREDIT FOR THE NON-SAF THAT YOU TRIED TO BUY?”
Talk about “virtue signaling!” “I MEANT to “save the planet” and buy SAF–but you don’t sell it–but will allow me to CLAIM the SAF ANYWAY–EVEN THOUGH I PUT ON REGULAR JET-A?”
Another reason to avoid Signature. I’ll go out of my way to do so.
It all reminds me of the gas crunch in the 70’s where people were making their own “diesel” out of used fry oil just to have a local supply and to save some money.
Fast forward to today and SAF is more expensive but the normal fuels are more available and cheaper!
This is all pure lunacy that is based on a fallacy and being sold as enlightenment.
“There is always a well-known solution to every human problem – neat, plausible, and wrong.” H.L.Mencken