Avfuel Corporation is to supply Textron Aviation with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel at its Wichita headquarters location on an ongoing basis. Textron will use the product as “fly away fuel” for new aircraft deliveries as well as to fuel customer demo flights.

Avfuel's first demonstrative delivery of SAF arrived at Textron Aviation on 26 February. Future deliveries will be of Avfuel's Neste MY SAF supply, providing a 22 metric ton reduction in carbon emissions over its lifecycle per truckload, equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by 28.7 acres of US forests per year. SAF is the most effective way to reduce a flight's carbon footprint, and, in the future, SAF could deliver up to 80 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions versus traditional jet fuel in its neat form.

The agreement makes Textron Aviation Avfuel's first OEM customer to take the fuel at regular intervals. The use of SAF aligns with Textron's commitment to meet industry goals for reducing carbon emissions.

“Our collaboration with Textron Aviation is welcomed progress for business aviation's sustainability initiative,” says Keith Sawyer, Avfuel's manager of alternative fuels. “It's not only an exceptional way for Textron to reduce its carbon emissions, it's also an exceptional way to introduce flight operators to the viability of sustainable aviation fuel. We're proud to work with the Textron team and excited about the educational opportunity this collaboration poses.”

Avfuel also recently reached an agreement with Bell Textron, the rotorcraft division of Textron in Fort Worth, Texas, for ongoing supply of Avfuel's Neste MY SAF. Bell will incorporate SAF into all Bell Training Academy (BTA) and customer demonstration fleet aircraft, becoming the first rotorcraft customer to receive SAF supply from Avfuel.

Neste MY SAF is made from sustainably sourced, renewable waste and residue materials, such as used cooking oil. It is a drop-in fuel that, once blended with petroleum jet fuel, meets ASTM D-1655 specification for jet fuel. This makes Neste MY SAF an optimum solution to directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft, requiring no new investments, modifications or changes to the aircraft or fuel distribution procedures.