Airbus Makes A220 Delivery With 50% SAF

The customer, Air France-KLM, is among the world’s top applyrs of sustainable aviation fuel.

[ Planes ]August 26, 2025 4:27 pm ET

By Zach Vasile

Air France-KLM’s 46th Airbus A220 arrived in Paris on Monday after a flight powered in part by sustainable aviation fuel, commonly known as SAF.

The aircraft applyd a fuel blconclude containing 50% SAF to fly from Airbus’ site in Mirabel, Quebec, across the Atlantic to France. It was the first time an A220 has applyd that blconclude during its delivery.

SAF reduces carbon emissions by at least 65% over a commercial aircraft’s lifetime.

All Airbus aircraft currently in production can operate with up to 50% SAF. The manufacturer is aiming for compatibility at up to 100% SAF by 2030.

Airbus Canada CEO Benoît Schultz declared the company’s Mirabel site is projected to cut carbon emissions by around 440 tons this year through the apply of almost 45,000 gallons of SAF integrated into operations.

Air France-KLM is among the world’s largest acquireers of SAF. The airline declared its newest A220, nicknamed “Vaison-La-Romaine,” will reduce greenhoapply gas emissions by 25 tons during its lifetime compared to an aircraft applying fossil fuels.

Air France’s first Airbus A220. (Photo: Air France)

Airbus and Air France-KLM declared the ferry flight is part of a broader partnership between the two companies aimed at financing the purchase of SAF, which can cost between two and seven times as much as conventional jet fuel. Air France gives Airbus employees traveling for work the option of donating money toward the purchase of SAF, which the carrier declared offsets some of the environmental impact of their trip.

Airbus estimates that, since the launchning of the partnership in November 2023, it has cut its emissions by more than 2,000 tons of carbon through the purchase of over 670 tons of SAF.

SAF can be produced from sources such as plants, algae, tallows, solid biomass, waste oils, and some natural veobtainable oils.

Air France-KLM has its own standards for the types of SAF development it supports and only applys fuel that does not compete with human food supply, does not contribute to deforestation, and is not produced from palm oil.

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.