Avionics News December 2020 - 45

other environmental sustainability efforts.
Aircraft manufacturers took on the challenge of
dealing with SAF skeptics.
" When it comes to skeptics, you have to face them
with facts, " said Michael Amalfitano, president and chief
executive officer at Embraer Executive Jets, explaining
SAF production uses land typically unproductive for
food supply and uses residual resources, so it has no
negative impact on food supply.
Amalfitano and other aircraft manufacturer
representatives attested to the safe use of SAF in all
of their turbine-powered aircraft. It is a drop-in fuel
that meets ASTM D7566 - the standard for turbinepowered aircraft - requiring no change to maintenance
procedures. SAF is typically used as a blend with
straight Jet A, mostly due to the current cost and lack of
widespread availability of SAF.
In fact, Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream
Aerospace, reported the company uses SAF for its own
business flights, demonstration flights and even flight
testing. Gulfstream Aerospace has flown almost 1.3
million nautical miles on alternative fuels, which is used
at its Savannah, Georgia, area home base and Van Nuys
and Long Beach, California, locations. SAF will soon
be available at its Farnborough location. The company
recently renewed its contract with World Fuel Supply to
ensure a steady supply of the fuel at specific locations
and meet customer demand.
" Customer interest is growing rapidly, " Burns said.
While customer demand is increasing, supply is the

greatest challenge to widespread use of SAF. Presenters
encouraged attendees to increase awareness among their
passengers and customers, encouraging business aviation
users to request SAF - increased demand will encourage
more supply and as a result lower the price.
Book and claim is a mechanism that allows customers
who are committed to sustainability to purchase SAF
even if the fuel is not available nearby. Another operator
uses the SAF, paying the usual Jet A price, but the
original purchasers receive the environmental credit
for using SAF. The book and claim concept allows
SAF use to expand more efficiently and helps suppliers
understand where to place their product for most
efficient use.
" We diminish the overall benefit as soon we start
moving these molecules out of the market they are
manufactured in, so we believe book and claim is the
market-based solution that bridges the gap between
widespread production and demand, " said Darren Fuller,
vice president of sales and business development for
World Fuel Services.
NetJets, Neste, and Signature Flight Support recently
formed a partnership to ensure 100% use of SAF at San
Francisco International Airport. The program, called
Signature Renew, will result in the world's first 100%
sustainably supplied FBO in early 2021.
Chris Cooper, Neste's vice president, North America,
Renewable Aviation, said SAF at SFO and Luton Airport
Continued on following page

WHILE CUSTOMER DEMAND IS INCREASING,
SUPPLY IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE TO
WIDESPREAD USE OF SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL.

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Avionics News December 2020

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