SAF is sound: Bombardier goes all-in on sustainable aviation fuels

It is generally agreed that it will take a “basket of measures” for the aviation industry to transition to a low-carbon economy and achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. 

At Bombardier, this transition is top of mind. Company-wide, our current goal is to reduce our annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 per cent by 2025, compared to 2019 levels. This will be achieved through a variety of measures.  

The biggest reductions will come from the increased adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in our flight operations.  

What is SAF?  

Simply put, it is aviation fuel produced from feedstocks such as waste cooking oils, corn grain, oil seeds, algae and forest/agricultural residues, among other materials. Certain criteria must be met for a particular fuel to qualify as SAF. For example, it cannot be sourced from lands with high biodiversity or carbon stocks, cannot compete with the food chain, and must provide a societal benefit through its production.  

What are the benefits of SAF? 

SAF has similar properties to conventional fossil-based jet fuel but comes with a smaller overall carbon footprint. The reduction in GHGs associated with the use of SAF is achieved throughout the fuel’s lifecycle, not just during in-flight consumption.  

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), believes SAF could account for about 65 per cent of the emissions reduction necessary for global aviation to reach net-zero by 2050. 

However, there’s a problem: Today, SAF is not widely available. Production needs to ramp up drastically if such a significant benefit is to be realized. 

What is Bombardier doing in the meantime?  

In October 2022, Bombardier announced a landmark agreement with Signature Aviation that will see all its flight operations – including testing and certification flights, demonstration flights and after-service check rides – covered by sustainable aviation fuel through the book-and-claim system.  

The result of this agreement, the first of its kind for a business aircraft manufacturer, is expected to be a 25 per cent reduction in the company’s overall flight emissions.  

This significant improvement will be realized through the book-and-claim system, an initiative that is widely expected to help boost the production of SAF worldwide. Essentially, this means that Bombardier will purchase SAF that will then be pumped into the tanks of an aircraft located near an SAF production site. In exchange for paying the additional cost of the SAF, Bombardier will claim the GHG emissions associated with its use.  

This is much more effective than trucking loads of sustainable aviation fuel to any of Bombardier’s facilities – long journeys that would themselves create emissions and therefore reduce the gains of using SAF. 

We also believe that buying SAF through the book-and-claim system is preferable to purchasing less expensive carbon credits. Although it comes at a higher cost, it allows us to support aviation specifically while driving demand and supply.  

However, we also consider this to be a transitional measure designed to fill the gap until SAF is available at every airport.  

What other initiatives are underway? 

Bombardier is taking additional steps to reduce its overall environmental footprint. 

Specific measures are being implemented at aircraft manufacturing and maintenance facilities, including the installation of solar panels, efficient LED lighting, and the replacement of less efficient technologies and equipment.   

For example, the recent award-winning expansion of Bombardier’s Singapore Service Centre included sustainably-focused upgrades such as solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations (landside and airside), LED lights, low-flow plumbing fixtures, automated water reticulation and the region’s first SAF supply. Bombardier is making similar upgrades at service centres throughout its worldwide network.  

Bombardier is proud to be at the forefront of business aviation’s push for sustainability. We will continue to look for opportunities to further reduce our environmental impact as we all strive to define aviation’s role in a greener future.