Gulfstream has launched a new service that reinforces its commitment to sustainability and provides Gulfstream operators with the opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint associated with their flights. Participants pay an annual fee based on aircraft utilisation to fund activities that generate an equal reduction in carbon emissions.

“This service responds to our customers' growing commitment to sustainability and aligns well with our environmental strategy, which includes designing some of the quietest, most fuel-efficient aircraft in the industry and promoting and using sustainable aviation fuel,” says president Mark Burns. “Many of our operators want to leverage the benefits of business aviation in an eco-friendly way and this allows them to do so. Through their participation in this service, they can be part of the solution for meeting aviation's goals for global emissions reduction.”

Gulfstream's carbon offset service is among a comprehensive portfolio of offerings in the company's turnkey support, operations and maintenance programme, Aircraft Ownership Service (AOS), launched in late 2017. Designed to simplify a Gulfstream operator's experience, AOS enables aircraft owners, flight departments and management companies to customise aircraft services for their needs. Customers choose the services, set the contract term and then receive a consolidated monthly invoice.

Gulfstream does not charge operators a fee to administer its carbon offset service, and there is no contractual commitment. Customers simply let Gulfstream know their projected annual flight hours and are invoiced a monthly fee, which is invested in environmentally beneficial activities through a third-party provider chosen by Gulfstream.

“Our provider will report annually what projects the carbon offset funds are used for,” Burns said. “These certified and verified projects that benefit the climate have included wind energy, forest management, farm power and recovery and utilisation of landfill gas.”

One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton/2,205 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions.

There are several elements to Gulfstream's sustainability programme, including aircraft sustainability, eco-friendly buildings and the use of sustainable aviation fuel for its corporate, demonstration, customer support and flight test fleets in Savannah. In addition, Gulfstream's Long Beach, California, maintenance and completions facility sells SAF to customers and uses it for completions and delivery flights.

Gulfstream's G650ER, G600, G500, G550 and G280 have made the company's first carbon-neutral flights, travelling from Savannah to the Las Vegas area for the 2019 NBAA-BACE. The five flights were made using a combination of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and carbon offsets.

“Gulfstream already designs extremely fuel-efficient, quiet aircraft capable of using sustainable aviation fuel, which we offer to customers and use regularly for our corporate operations, so using carbon offsets was the natural next step to advancing and elevating our sustainability commitment,” says Mark Burns. “Reducing our industry's carbon footprint is paramount for ensuring a sustainable future for aviation.”

Gulfstream's fleet flew to Henderson Executive airport near Las Vegas on a 30/70 blend of low-carbon, drop-in SAF and traditional, petroleum-based Jet A fuel. The emissions associated with using 70 per cent Jet A were more than offset by the company's purchase, for a per-flight-hour fee, of verified emission reduction credits through a third-party offset provider. The offsets represented more than 200 per cent of the carbon emitted during the trip.

“The offset provider we are using supports projects and technologies that reduce environmental effects worldwide,” concludes Burns.