Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have announced that they are launching a new sustainable fuel scheme aimed towards corporate customers. Air France and KLM hope that it will allow their corporate customers to play an active role in sustainable aviation. After estimating how much CO₂ emissions are a direct result of their travel, Air France and KLM  corporate customers will be able to calculate how much they wish to contribute to the Corporate SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) program.

All the Air France and KLM contributions will be used to find and utilize sustainable aviation fuel while supporting a sustainable aviation fuel industry. By doing this, it will help to guarantee an increase in eco-responsible air transport. Companies investing in the Air France/KLM corporate program will not only be able to help reduce CO₂ emissions but also contribute towards the ecological transition of air transport by supporting innovative solutions.

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SAF will help reduce CO₂ emissions

Air France and KLM have been looking at and developing alternative fuel programs for many years. In 2011, both airlines were amongst the world's first to operate commercial flights to demonstrate how air travel could be possible without fossil fuels.

Today it is possible to create sustainable aviation fuel from used cooking oil, non-palm waste oils from animals and plants, and even food scraps and household waste that might have ended up in a landfill. Other potential sources for SAF include forest products such as waste wood and fast-growing plants.

SAF is blended with traditional jet fuel

Fuels made from these products can be easily incorporated into traditional jet fuel without modifying the aircraft engines. Traditional jet fuel can be blended up to 50% with SAF, and it will undergo the same quality tests as traditional jet fuel. The blend will then be certified as being Jet A or Jet A-1. The refueling of aircraft using SAF is the same as traditional jet fuel, which means no infrastructure changes are needed.

Introducing SAF can reduce emissions by more than 85% compared to conventional jet fuel. The main challenge facing the introduction of SAF into the aviation world is developing a sustainable industry. Air France and KLM corporate customers can now help by contributing to the program.

Companies can help eco-travel

With the news that the United States was rejoining the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change and all the public awareness raised by young Swedish environment activist Greta Thunberg, there has never been a better time for companies to show that they are serious about reducing CO₂ emissions.

In a statement seen by Simple Flying about the SAF corporate program Air France and KLM  said the following:

"Air France and KLM have been working for many years to reduce their environmental impact,” said Henri de Peyrelongue, Executive Vice President Commercial Sales, Air France-KLM.

"The launch of the Corporate SAF program is further proof of a strong commitment leading to concrete actions. Through their contribution, our corporate customers will be tomorrow's partners in an energy transition that can be fully in line with their more eco-responsible travel policy."

This sounds like a win-win for corporate clients as it is a way to promote their greenness while also helping to protect the environment.

What do you think about the Air France-KLM SAF program? Please tell us your thoughts about it in the comments.