Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport (LFPN) has become the latest European location to receive continuous supplies of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The HEFA-produced SAF, supplied by TotalEnergies, is provided in a 35% blend that offers a 30% life cycle carbon emissions reduction compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuel.
Aircraft manufacturer Daher welcomed the development. "The provision of [SAF] at Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport, where we have one of our main maintenance bases in France, is an important step for the promotion of these fuels to our customers," said Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher's aircraft division. "Since 2022 we have been using the mixture of jet-A1 and SAF on our TBM and Kodiak aircraft for flight operations at our French industrial site in Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées or at airports where it is available." He added that Daher is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
LFPN is owned by Groupe ADP, which considers it an innovation and training hub for its decarbonization initiatives. "After the installation of charging stations to support the growth of electric aviation in 2023, this new initiative in favor of decarbonization of general aviation is aimed more particularly at travel airplanes and helicopters present on the platform," said Sébastien Couturier, director of ADP’s general aviation airports. "[Our SAF offering] will generate increasing demand that will gradually allow us to decarbonize all operations."