In an effort to extend carbon neutrality goals in the aviation industry, global fuel supplier Avfuel Corporation will supply sustainable aviation jet fuel to fuel operators for aircraft headed to NBAA-BACE at its Salina Regional airport Avflight FBO. Avfuel has commitments from manufacturers such as Embraer, Textron Aviation and Dassault to fuel with the sustainable product en route to the expo, as well as from many other private operators. Avfuel will be flying its sales team to and from Las Vegas on SAF, refuelling at the Salina FBO as well as at Henderson Executive airport near Las Vegas.

“This will be Avfuel’s fourth product demonstration of the viability of SAF specifically in business aviation,” says manager of alternative fuels Keith Sawyer. “Avfuel is steadfast in its obligation to support the industry’s commitment to reduce its impact on climate change. We are thankful to all who are helping to make this SAF demonstration possible, including the Avflight team and the various operators who agreed to fueling with the product. We need more such willing participants in the industry in order to encourage production and overcome the industry’s largest SAF challenge to date: availability.”

To supply the fuel for this occasion, Avfuel acquired a concentrated delivery of SAJF from next-generation biofuels company Gevo, and blended it with petroleum-based jet fuel. This mixture was then tested for fuel quality to ensure it meets all standards associated with jet fuel.

The product has a net benefit to the environment across its lifecycle. Created from corn starch, for every one million gallons of the concentrated SAF that is produced, approximately 20 million pounds of animal feed and protein is sold into the food chain, and the final jet fuel product burns cleaner, reducing carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.

Sawyer adds: “The recent global attention on climate change brings more public scrutiny to our industry. Even though the aviation industry leads the way in taking steps to improve its efficiency and address its impact on the environment, it is not enough; we must continue to improve the efficiency of our products and operations. Generating awareness is so important to this effort. There will be many opportunities to learn more about SAF during BACE with lunch and learn sessions and discourses at the Innovation Station on the show floor as well as at the Avfuel booth N4123.”