Vinci Airports has made sustainable biofuels available to Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne airport (LFLC) users, with Michelin Air Services becoming its first customer. These are provided by Air bp under a fuel contract with Vinci Airports and are produced from used food oils.

Michelin Air Services, the corporate flight department of tyre manufacturer Michelin that operates a fleet of Falcon 2000s from LFLC, will be supplied with the SAF blend according to agreed commitments for ongoing supply at the airport. This demand from Michelin means that approximately 30% of the airport’s total volume will be supplied as this SAF blend.

Corine Brunet, CEO, Michelin Air Services, says: "Michelin Air Services is committed to decarbonising its flights with the use of the SAF supplied by Air bp, thereby illustrating the Michelin Group's "All Sustainable" strategy. With Air bp, Michelin Air Services has found a partner that listens, makes proposals and is efficient in its implementation of this shared approach to seeking lower carbon options in the aviation sector.”

Andreea Moyes, Air bp sustainability director comments: “We are excited to see our first ongoing SAF supply in France. Air bp is a strong facilitator in the supply of SAF and recently announced a number of agreements in the UK. This underlines BP's commitment to working with stakeholders to explore its viable sale and purchase, which we believe is one of the aviation industry’s key routes to reducing carbon emissions and supports BP’s net zero ambition.”

Biofuels are one of the key items of Vinci Airports' environmental commitment to decarbonise aviation, as demonstrated by its response in July 2020 to the French state's call for expressions of interest on the production of sustainable aeronautical biofuels in France. Biofuels are a decarbonisation solution for aviation that can be implemented immediately before other technological innovations such as hydrogen-powered aircraft are introduced.

As the first airport operator to implement a global environmental strategy, Vinci Airports has been committed since 2015 to a global approach of control and reduction of its environmental impacts. This has resulted in a significant decrease in its carbon footprint, achieving a 22 per cent reduction in gross CO2 emissions between 2018 and 2020 across its network. In parallel, Vinci Airports is committed to prepare tomorrow's aviation, alongside local authority partners and the industry.

Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, says: “Preserving the environment is a considerable issue and undoubtedly constitutes the biggest challenge of the 21st century. Regional actors are mobilised to develop the use of clean energy, for example with the European Zero emission valley programme for vehicles or with the development of hydrogen powered trains. Allowing planes to refuel with less polluting sustainable biofuels will allow Clermont-Ferrand-Auvergne airport to be at the forefront of innovation while being a role model of progress to help decarbonise aviation.”

Vinci Airports chairman and CEO Nicolas Notebaert adds: “Sustainable biofuels are a short-term solution to decarbonise aviation and are an integral part of the ambitious environmental strategy we have been pursuing since 2015 to reduce our carbon footprint and engage our stakeholders in the same movement. We are pleased with this progress and remain mobilised to contribute, alongside the industrial players, to developing a less carbonised aviation, that is compatible with the aspirations of travellers.”