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Airbus committed to partner with the Department of Transportation on sustainable aviation fuel initiatives following a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Berlin, Germany
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Anand Stanley, president and head of region Airbus Asia-Pacific, highlighted Airbus’s involvement in the DOTr’s working group for SAF development
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The aerospace company is exploring various avenues, including the use of used cooking oil and extraction of carbon energy from landfills, to ensure a sustainable fuel supply for the aviation sector
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In 2023, Airbus significantly increased its SAF usage by more than 11 million liters, exceeding its initial total target of 10% and contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions
Airbus committed to partner with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initiatives following a meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Berlin, Germany.
Anand Stanley, president and head of region Airbus Asia-Pacific, highlighted Airbus’ active engagement with the DOTr’s working group dedicated to formulating a roadmap for SAF adoption in the country.
Airbus also expressed readiness to collaborate with DOTr on human capital development, and partnership with a Philippine and European university.
In addition, it offered support in addressing traffic issues at Philippine airports through studies on automated and unmanned traffic management.
The aerospace company is exploring various avenues, including the use of used cooking oil and extraction of carbon energy from landfills, to ensure a sustainable fuel supply for the aviation sector.
Stanley shared Airbus’ successful initiative in Australia involving carbon extraction from landfills and emphasized the feasibility of utilizing organic matter from agricultural waste, sea algae, and cooking oil to produce SAF.
Stanley said their project is becoming profitable thanks to the rising price of carbon credits in aviation. These credits –essentially tradable permits to emit greenhouse gases — could be a valuable asset for Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific. If either airline does not need the credits they generate, they could sell them to a company like Germany’s Lufthansa.
SAF is certified jet fuel (Jet-A/A1). However, unlike traditional jet fuel fully derived from fossil resources, SAF is a blend of conventional fossil fuel and synthetic components made from a range of renewable “feedstock” such as used cooking oils, fats, plant oils, municipal, agricultural and forestry waste, according to the aerospace firm’s website.
Airbus said all of its aircraft will be capable of flying on a maximum 50% blend of SAF and conventional fuel and by 2030, all their aircraft and helicopters will be capable of flying with up to 100% SAF.
In 2023, Airbus used more than 11 million liters of SAF in its operations – two times the volume of 2022. This exceeded the initial 2023 target of 10% of the total fuel used across Airbus’ divisions by more than a million liters and accounted for 2% of all SAF produced in the world over the year. This achievement contributed to the reduction of CO2 emissions by 23,587 tons.
Airbus holds a significant market share in both narrowbody and widebody aircraft segments in the country, serving airlines like Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and Air Asia Philippines.
