Decarbonisation of the business aviation industry will be achieved on a step-by-step basis according to Dassault CEO and chairman Eric Trappier. Many approaches, such as optimising aircraft operation and electric power, are part of the plan, but in the near term SAF is the most effective solution for reducing industry CO2 emissions.

However, concerns have been voiced. “The world is receiving an unrealistic message about SAF and sustainability,” says Titan Aviation Fuels EMEA CEO Daniel Coetzer. “It needs to be managed. There is not enough SAF being made, it is too expensive and many operators and clients don’t want to pay.”

He has long said that there is not enough SAF product on the market; currently less than one per cent of the global fleet is flying on it. Some larger players can cut big deals with SAF refineries, perhaps acquiring all a facility's output. And adoption by commercial airlines is strong despite the higher price. On top of this, few feedstocks are available in sufficient quantities to increase SAF production significantly. For the most part the composition of blended fuel is only around five per cent SAF, jet fuel makes up the rest so it is a long way from flying clean.

Book and claim processes, with SAF paid for in one location where it is not available and the corresponding amount of fuel put into an aircraft elsewhere, with the buyer receiving the emissions-reduction credit, may ease adoption in the US. “But it just doesn't work in Europe," he says. "There are so many different taxation regimes across the various countries.”

Titan itself is working on carbon offsets, where the customer buys jet fuel and invests in sustainable projects around the world. But overall, he feels the message about being green by 2030 is not achievable.

“We need to present a more realistic account of business aviation’s sustainable achievements, take the spotlight off SAF and look at other initiatives for greening up the industry.

“Engines still create noxious emissions, even on high SAF blends. So other industry sectors like engine manufacturing and electric power must push forward. Although with electric power, there is not enough supply and the public don’t seem to want nuclear. How can we make enough?” he asks. “If we can’t supply all the electric cars at the moment, how are we going to power all the aircraft?”

Germany-based sales, management and charter operator AirGO refuels its Avanti EVO and Praetor 600 fleet using SAF wherever possible, and has a book and claim model. It doesn’t matter where SAF is refuelled; what counts is the CO2 balance, it says.

In March 2022, the boutique airline partnered with on demand jet charter platform Victor to introduce ‘opt-out’ SAF into the platform's standard pricing structure, rather than requiring clients to ‘opt-in’ at the end of the transaction. All AirGO flights booked via Victor’s marketplace incorporated the cost of SAF into the total price of the charter, and the carbon emissions of each flight were disclosed. Thus Victor clients could easily compare the fuel-efficient SAF-powered Piaggio Avanti side-by-side with other more carbon intensive options, which should drive better decision-making.

Nowadays, AirGo uses other pricing platforms, where the SAF-based trip price, inevitably higher than jet fuel-based pricing, is not necessarily recognised or differentiated. “We realised only recently that this will be a problem that will make us very unpopular on the market,” says flight operations manager captain Nick Strelkow. The company is technically ready to display these prices more widely, but recognises the inherent disadvantage where platforms put the cheapest prices first. Its SAF-based prices won’t make it to the top of those operator offers. And it cannot know whether a broker using a platform will understand or explain to the customer that the elevated price reflects the sustainable nature of the flight. “We have no influence there,” he adds. “So there needs to be industry change to ensure clarity on the platform side, to keep SAF flights at the top of the quote list, otherwise we will be penalised for trying to be more green.”