A study commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) reveals senior executives of large U.S. businesses that use business aviation are increasingly focused on reducing the carbon footprint of their flights.
95% of those executives interviewed say their companies have a good understanding of the carbon footprint of their business aircraft flights. Nine out of ten say their understanding here has improved over the past five years, with nearly half (49%) saying it has improved dramatically.
The two main reasons behind this shift are the appointment of specialists to monitor the carbon footprint of flights, and an increased investment in these teams. The third main reason given is that companies operating their aircraft are now offering more detailed carbon footprint data for flights.
Large U.S. companies are taking a range of steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their business aviation flights.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a biofuel that can help reduce CO2 emissions by 80% on average throughout its lifecycle.
The ACJ TwoTwenty, for instance, is capable of flying with up to a 50% blend of kerosene and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) while keeping to the technical specifications of Jet A. All Airbus commercial aircraft and helicopters will be capable of operating with 100% SAF by 2030. This capability will play an important role in the sector’s decarbonization journey.
Among executives at firms that use business aviation (all forms), 61% anticipate their companies would be prepared to increase their business aviation budgets by more than 25% to enable them to use SAF or more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Of those executives at firms that own or lease business aircraft, 95% report increased investment in fleet management technology for route optimization, which helps to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
Some 93% of executives surveyed at firms that charter business jets emphasized a preference for newer, more efficient models to help reduce the impact of their flights on the environment.
“Most large U.S. corporations have a strong and growing focus on more sustainable business aviation practices,” said Sean McGeough, VP Commercial ACJ for North America. “The research clearly demonstrates this trend in their aircraft purchase decisions and fleet operations.”
McGeough continued: “The use of SAF will be a game-changer for aviation and business aviation’s decarbonization journey. There is clearly more demand for SAF than current or near-term production capacity. The U.S. aims to produce three billion gallons of SAF by 2030 on the way to providing SAF for 100% of aviation fuel demand by 2050.”
