2022 SAF production increases 200%
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production will reach at least 300 million liters in 2022 - a 200% increase on 2021 production. More optimistic calculations estimate total production in 2022 could reach 450 million liters. Both scenarios position the SAF industry on the verge of an exponential capacity and production ramp-up toward an identified tipping point of 30 billion liters by 2030, with the right supporting policies. Airlines are committed to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 and see SAF as a key contributor. Current estimates expect SAF to account for 65% of the mitigation needed for this, requiring a production capacity of 450 billion liters annually in 2050.
“There was at least triple the amount of SAF in the market in 2022 than in 2021. And airlines used every drop, even at very high prices! If more was available, it would have been purchased. That makes it clear that it is a supply issue and that market forces alone are insufficient to solve it. Governments, who now share the same 2050 net zero goal, need to put in place comprehensive production incentives for SAF. It is what they did to successfully transition economies to renewable sources of electricity. And it is what aviation needs to decarbonize,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. To date, over 450,000 commercial flights have been operated using SAF. www.iata.org
Industry first: Gulfstream G650 flies on 100% SAF
Gulfstream Aerospace last week announced it is the business-jet industry’s first OEM to fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The flight took place on a Gulfstream G650 from Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah and was flown in partnership with engine supplier Rolls-Royce on the G650 BR725 engine.
The SAF that was used in the test consists of two components: HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids), produced from waste fat and plant oils by low-carbon fuel specialist World Energy in Paramount, California, and SAK (Synthesized Aromatic Kerosene) made from plant-based sugars by Wisconsin-based Virent Inc. This in-development and fully sustainable fuel eliminates the need for the addition of further petroleum-based components and enables a 100% drop-in SAF that can be used in existing jet engines and infrastructure without any modifications. This sustainable fuel has the potential to reduce net CO2 life cycle emissions by nearly 80% compared with conventional jet fuel, with the possibility of further reductions. www.gulfstream.com
IADA: Used aircraft market to cool slightly in 2023
A very active December for business aircraft resale dealers is capping a powerful year for members of the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA). Association members bought and sold more than 1,200 business aircraft worth $8 billion in the first 11 months of the year, according to statistics from IADA. While IADA’s Fourth Quarter Market Report won’t be released until January, an early projection indicates that once the year ends, the organization's resale experts could conduct over 1,320 deals worth more than $8.8 billion dollars. The stunningly robust year will surpass a surprisingly strong 2021 which saw used business aircraft sales rebound mightily while available aircraft dropped precipitously from March of 2020, when the pandemic induced a brief market collapse. “The signals that we’re seeing from the broker-dealers in our group and our service providers are that the markets are beginning to normalize, and buyers are starting to become more rational. The frenzy of the last 12-24 months has calmed down quite a bit and we see this as healthy for our industry,” said Zipporah Marmor, IADA Chair and Vice President, Aircraft Transactions at Montreal-based ACASS. www.iada.aero
People: Tony Wood joins Airbus Board of Directors as a non-executive director
Following a decision by the Airbus Board of Directors, Tony Wood has joined the Board as a non-executive director with immediate effect, replacing Lord Paul Drayson. Tony Wood is a Member of the Board of Directors of National Grid plc, one of the world's largest publicly listed utilities focused on transmission and distribution of electricity and gas, and a Director of ADS Group Limited, the trade association for the Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space sectors in the UK having served as its President from 2020 to 2022. From 2018 to 2022 Tony Wood was Chief Executive of Meggitt plc having joined the company in 2016. Prior to joining Meggitt, Mr Wood spent 15 years at Rolls-Royce plc where he was a member of the Executive Committee from 2009 - 2016, latterly serving as President of Aerospace from 2013 - 2016. He began his career as a sponsored undergraduate trainee with the Dowty Group in 1984 (now part of Safran SA) where he held a variety of management roles.
Mr Wood has lived and worked in the UK, France and Canada. He holds a degree in Engineering from the Open University in the UK and a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD in France. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society; a Fellow of the Association for Project Management and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science from Cranfield University in 2015. www.airbus.com