Lahiru Ranasinghe
Director of Sustainability, easyJet
An innovative scheme has been launched in the airline industry that could help speed up the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is changing the shape of the airline industry. It is also offering corporate enterprises the chance to meet their own sustainability goals. Firms of all sizes can now purchase non-fossil airline fuel under an innovative scheme in partnership with the aviation sector to make progress towards their decarbonisation targets.
Helping companies manage their carbon footprint
Sustainability expert Lahiru Ranasinghe notes that the industry “must take action to set the stage for more sustainable aviation, despite the challenges.”
“There is a tendency to think of sustainability as purely a cost,” he continues. “However, there are also many opportunities to be explored.” Ranasinghe is Director of Sustainability at low-cost airline easyJet, which is working with corporate customers to acquire SAF under a ground-breaking initiative.
A core element enables companies to join forces with the airline to buy SAF and address their own carbon footprint. “We work with corporate customers because they typically travel more, but companies also have their own decarbonisation targets that they need to meet as well,” he explains.
SAF is a key part of the
decarbonisation of aviation
and a move away from fossil fuels.
Aviation decarbonisation
SAF is an alternative, albeit more expensive, fuel that can reduce net emissions from air travel compared to traditional jet fuel. Made from non-petroleum feedstocks, it can be used in existing aircraft. “SAF is a key part of the decarbonisation of aviation and a move away from fossil fuels,” adds Ranasinghe. “But to make this a reality, as an industry, we need to scale up supply of SAF.”
Using a mass balance model, the airline has already partnered with Airbus to buy SAF. With SBTi (science based targets initiative) requiring firms to demonstrate that SAF — which can be blended with traditional aviation fuel — is being consumed within the industry, Ranasinghe outlines how easyJet facilitates the verification and SAF certification process, allowing companies to register the ISCC-aligned certificates as part of their Scope 3 reporting, demonstrating they have bought SAF (with the airline) to displace fossil fuel in an airport fuel system.
Sustainability strategy through SAF
Ranasinghe acknowledges that the timeline towards fuller SAF use is a gradual process, but while fuel mandates will be a building block to increase demand and supply, the airline is looking to create additional demand in partnership with business customers. UK mandates say that airlines must carry a 10% blend of SAF on flights by 2030. “We are working to secure the SAF needed to comply with those mandates. In addition, we are developing this unique solution for our corporate customers,” he adds.
“SAF, however, is one part of a very comprehensive sustainability strategy for easyJet. Just as we democratise air travel, we are trying to do the same with SAF to help companies big and small get closer to meeting their decarbonisation targets and keep air travel moving in the direction it needs to,” concludes Ranasinghe.
To join the scheme, companies can email [email protected]
