Airbus Partners with TotalEnergies to Boost Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Development

Airbus and TotalEnergies have established a significant partnership focused on advancing the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to propel the aviation industry toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This collaboration is poised to play a critical role in reducing the aviation sector’s CO2 emissions, with SAF from TotalEnergies potentially lowering CO2 emissions by up to 90% across their lifecycle compared to traditional fossil fuels.

The partnership encompasses two primary initiatives:

• The provision by TotalEnergies of SAF to satisfy over half of Airbus’ fuel requirements in Europe.
• A joint research and innovation effort aimed at crafting 100% sustainable fuels compatible with both current and future aircraft designs. This includes examining how the composition of SAF impacts CO2 emissions and non-CO2 effects, like contrail formation.

Both Airbus and TotalEnergies express their shared commitment to fostering SAF technology and deepening their cooperative efforts to decarbonize aviation:

• Since 2016, TotalEnergies has supplied the SAF used by Airbus for its aircraft deliveries in Toulouse.
• TotalEnergies facilitated the fuel for numerous milestone SAF flights involving Airbus aircraft, including the first long-haul flight with French-produced SAF on an A350 between Paris and Montreal in May 2021, the first flight of an H225 helicopter using 100% SAF, and the inaugural A321neo flight on 100% SAF in March 2023.

Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, emphasized the centrality of SAF development to the company’s transition strategy, expressing excitement over partnering with Airbus to tackle aviation decarbonization. TotalEnergies aims to produce 1.5 million tons of SAF annually by 2030.

Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO, highlighted the urgent need to expedite SAF deployment to achieve 2030 carbon reduction targets, underlining the partnership’s role in aligning aerospace manufacturers and major energy suppliers towards this collective goal. He affirmed Airbus’ determination to meet decarbonization objectives and sustain aviation’s essential societal benefits into the future.