Civic, Aviation Leaders Showcase Viability of Alternative Jet Fuels in Live Demo

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A coalition of international business aviation organizations joined Los Angeles-area civic leaders to mark a milestone in the development and adoption of sustainable alternative jet fuels (SAJF) through Business Jets Fuel Green: A Step Toward Sustainability.

The day-long series of events included demonstration flights conducted by business aircraft, established Van Nuys Airport as the first general aviation airport in the U.S. to offer SAJF on a trial basis, and served as a model for offering the fuels at other airports.

The trial flights, which were first announced at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in 2018, are an extension of the SAJF initiative, reflecting the industry’s long-standing commitment to emissions reduction, including, among other aims, carbon neutrality from 2020 forward. In conjunction with EBACE, the coalition released the “Business Aviation Guide to the Use of Sustainable Alternative Fuel” to provide a roadmap for the education about, and use of, SAJF.

The success of the trial flights clearly demonstrated three key points:

  1. SAJF are safe and do not impact aircraft performance.
  2. SAJF offer great impact and benefits to the airport and the community, including reduced particulate matter.
  3. SAJF reflect the commitment by business aviation to aircraft carbon reduction.

The SAJF initiative, developed by a coalition of international aviation organizations, is intended, first, to address a “knowledge gap” on the availability of SAJF and concerns within the industry regarding its safety and, second, to advance the proliferation of alternative jet fuels at all the logical touchpoints: the manufacturers, the ground handlers and the operators, at the regional, national and international levels.

Business Jets Fuel Green: A Step Toward Sustainability was made possible through the efforts of EBAA, GAMA, IBAC, NATA, NBAA and VNAA, in coordination with Avfuel Corporation, Bombardier Business Aircraft, Gevo, Inc., World Energy, World Fuel Services and other industry stakeholders.

Learn more about the SAJF initiative, see a full list of participants and view a video stream of key portions from today’s event at Van Nuys Airport at futureofsustainablefuel.com. Follow business aviation’s commitment to alternative fuels on Twitter and Facebook at #Sustainability.