Record Numbers of Aircraft Fly to EBACE on Alternative Fuels

Business aviation leaders celebrate the record number of airplanes fueled by sustainable alternative jet fuels (SAJF) to arrive at the industry’s largest European industry event. In all, 27 aircraft using 10,646 US gallons of alternative fuels arrived at Geneva Airport (GVA) for the annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE).

Aircraft that participated in the first-ever EBACE SAJF Fly-In are showcased at the event’s static display. The significance of the fly-in was recognized by EBACE organizers, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).

“This week’s record-setting EBACE SAJF Fly-In is a milestone in business aviation’s commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions,” says EBAA chairman of the board of governors, Juergen Wiese. “We are proud that Europe’s leading business-aviation event, which has always showcased innovation, is proving the viability and value of alternative fuels.”

Production and use of the alternate fuels are key to the industry’s Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change, which, among other aims, seeks to achieve carbon neutral growth from 2020 forward. Last year at EBACE, industry leaders reaffirmed that commitment by releasing a guide to using SAJF.

Many of the airplanes that flew to EBACE using SAJF arrived from London’s Tag Farnborough Airport, where industry leaders hosted a demonstration day, entitled “Fuelling the Future,” on May 18, 2019. The Farnborough day, which was officially designated as part of the EU Sustainable Energy Week, followed a similar SAJF demonstration day at Van Nuys Airport in California on Jan. 17, 2019.

In addition to Farnborough, flights arrived in Geneva from several airports in Europe and North America, where alternative fuels were available for business aircraft. These include Caen Carpiquet Airport in France, Stockholm Arlanda Airport in Sweden and Republic Airport in the United States.

“Today, it is more evident than ever how unified our industry is in working toward the goal of continually reducing emissions through innovation,” says NBAA president and CEO, Ed Bolen. “Business aviation has always led the way in promoting technologies that advance the sustainability of flight, and it is appropriate that we highlight our focus in this area through this record-setting fly-in.”

At the Farnborough Demonstration Day and again at EBACE, industry leaders underscored that SAJF are safe and do not impact aircraft performance. The fuels also benefit airport communities, reducing particulate matter.

In addition to EBAA and NBAA, the development of SAJF has been promoted by a coalition of industry organizations, including the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). Learn more about the SAJF initiative at futureofsustainablefuel.com.

Leaders from that coalition thank all the fuel providers, aircraft manufacturers, service providers, airport authorities and others who support this week’s EBACE SAJF Fly-In, including: Air BP, Avfuel, Aviator, Bombardier, Cirrus Aircraft, Daher, Dassault Aviation, Diamond Aircraft, Embraer, Gulfstream, JSSI, NESTE, Textron Aviation, VistaJet and World Fuel Services.

"These flights are intended to demonstrate to everyone in our industry that SAJF is, quite simply, Jet-A in every way: a drop-in fuel that has undergone exhaustive testing and meets all specifications and requirements,” says GAMA president and CEO, Pete Bunce. “As an industry, we are extremely proud to have delivered a 40 percent fuel-efficiency improvement over the last 40 years through improved aircraft and component designed materials and manufacturing processes. We look forward to building upon these efficiency gains, which directly translate to our industry’s environmental sustainability goals through the growing availability and use of SAJF.”

“This fleet of aircraft flying into Geneva for EBACE on sustainable aviation fuel represents the global commitment by business aviation to mitigate its carbon emissions and contribute to the goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020,” says International Business Aviation Council director general, Kurt Edwards. “The fly-in also demonstrates the viability of these drop-in fuels and provides further proof to the industry that we can fly with SAJF now!”

“Each milestone of the SAJF initiative represents progress in education and awareness, and exemplifies the dedication and commitment of our industry and coalition members,” says NATA President, Gary Dempsey. “NATA thanks each one of the participants of the Farnborough and EBACE events for their support and engagement. Without them, none of this would be possible.”

The SAJF-powered aircraft participating in the EBACE Fly-in include the following:

Bombardier Business Aircraft

• Bombardier Challenger 350 
• Bombardier Challenger 650
• Bombardier Challenger 850
• Bombardier Global 6000
• Bombardier Global 7500
• Bombardier Learjet 75

Cirrus Aircraft

• Cirrus Vision Jet

Dassault Aviation

• Dassualt 2000LXS
• Dassault 900LX

Daher

• Daher TBM 910

Diamond Aircraft Industries

• Diamond DA-62

Embraer

• Embraer Legacy 650E
• Embraer Lineage 1000E
• Embraer Phenom 100EV
• Embraer Legacy 300E
• Embraer Praetor 500
• Embraer Praetor 600

Gulfstream Aerospace

• Gulfstream G280
• Gulfstream G550
• Gulfstream G600
• Gulfstream G650ER

Piaggio Aerospace

• Piaggio P180 EVO

Textron Aviation

• Cessna Citation Latitude

To learn more about EBACE2019, visit https://ebace.aero/2019/.