Air France flight takes off on 100% sustainable aviation fuel

Air France-KLM, Total, Groupe ADP and Airbus have joined forces to carry out the first long-haul flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced in France. 

Air France Flight 342 took off from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport’s Terminal 2E for Montreal on May 18, with its tanks filled for the first time with sustainable aviation fuel produced in Total’s French plants.  

This flight is a tangible result of the four groups’ shared ambition to decarbonize air transportation and to develop a SAF supply chain in France, a prerequisite to their widespread use in French airports.

No modifications to storage and distribution infrastructure, aircraft or engines are required to incorporate biofuels. Their gradual introduction worldwide should significantly reduce CO2 emissions from air transportation, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The biofuel used for this flight was made from waste and residue sourced from the circular economy. Total produced the SAF from used cooking oil at its La Mède biorefinery in southern France and at its Oudalle factory near Le Havre, without using any virgin plant-based oil. 

This first 100% French SAF received ISCC-EU certification from the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification System, an independent organization that guarantees sustainability. The 16% blend on this flight lessened its CO2 emissions by 20 tons. 

By developing and supporting France’s first industrial SAF production, Air France-KLM, Total, ADP Group and Airbus are paving the way for France to drive innovation in the energy and environmental transition. French legislation calls for aircraft to use at least 1% SAF by 2022 for all flights originating in France, ahead of the European ambition scheduled to gradually ramp up to 2% by 2025 and 5% by 2030, as part of the European Green Deal.

To meet these requirements, Total will also produce SAF at its Grandpuits zero-crude complex near Paris from 2024.