Source: ATR

The initiative provides for a blend of 30% SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) to be used for one out of five deliveries of new ATR aircraft to NAC, resulting in four tonnes of CO2 saved for every batch of five aircraft. This is equivalent to a 6% SAF blend on the first leg of each ferry flight from 2023 onwards.

AirSwift is the first airline to benefit from the programme, with a new ATR 72-600 from the NAC Skyline, which departed from Toulouse to the Philippines on 27 November 2023. AirSwift will use this aircraft to service its hub in El Nido on the island of Palawan.

The ATR 72-600 is the lowest emission regional aircraft on the market thanks to the high efficiency of the turboprop technology and ATR’s continuous commitment to further reducing CO2 emissions and operating costs. The ATR 72-600 boasts a remarkable 45% reduction in CO2emissions compared to similar-size regional jets. Already certified to fly with a 50% SAF blend, ATR is committed to achieving the 100% SAF readiness of its aircraft family by 2025.

The SAF is produced by TotalEnergies in its French facilities and made from waste and residues such as used cooking oils or animal fats. It is then blended with conventional Jet A-1 at a rate of 30%. Neat SAF could help reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to its fossil equivalent on its entire lifecycle.

Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR’s Chief Executive Officer, says: “This joint initiative from NAC and AirSwift demonstrates how much our customers are demanding tangible solutions to reduce emissions. As a manufacturer, all our efforts in terms of technology and innovation are going in that direction, leveraging an already highly efficient platform. We were the first to fly a commercial aircraft with 100% SAF in both engines and we will continue pushing the whole ecosystem towards more SAF availability, convinced that sustainable fuels will play a critical role in the decarbonisation of air transport both in the short and long-term.”

“We are proud to offer solutions that emit less CO2, such as SAF. Our mission is to support our customers in their energy transition. These deliveries are a new step forward for TotalEnergies, in line with our ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, together with the society” declares Joël Navaron, President of TotalEnergies Aviation.

Alfonso Reyes, CEO of AirSwift, says, “We are very pleased to partner with NAC and ATR for this new addition to our fleet, and especially that we will be the first customer in Southeast Asia to use SAF for our initial delivery flight. Ayala and AirSWIFT are fully committed to sustainability and to reducing our carbon emissions as we work towards our Net Zero 2050 goals. We are hopeful that greater investment in this space will create the momentum necessary for SAF to become more widely available on a commercial basis in the coming years.”

Norman C.T. Liu, President & CEO of NAC, says, “This is an important step for NAC to manage our environmental impact. We are pleased to play a role in facilitating our customer’s transition to SAF.”