en.Wedoany.com Reported - Airbus and Air Canada announced at the Farnborough Airshow on July 20 the establishment of a CAD 13.7 million (approximately USD 9.8 million) investment platform to support the increased production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Canada.

Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Airbus, introduced during a briefing at the Farnborough Airshow that this joint investment can reach up to CAD 13.7 million (approximately USD 9.8 million), with each party contributing 50%. The focus of the collaboration is to accelerate the progress of jointly selected Canadian SAF projects until a final investment decision is reached.

In its initial phase, the investment vehicle plans to support HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids)-type SAF production. Canada has abundant feedstocks, and a study commissioned by Airbus from ICF shows that local production could meet 40% of the country's SAF demand, while adding CAD 32 billion to GDP and creating 140,000 jobs.

Air Canada currently operates over 100 Airbus aircraft, including the A321XLR added to its fleet this year. Valerie Durand, Vice President of Airport Affairs, Corporate Real Estate and Sustainability at Air Canada, stated that this initiative helps build a reliable and competitive SAF supply system for Canada. Regarding the impact of policy changes in the United States, Durand emphasized that Air Canada's targets remain stable and are not a regional issue.

Airbus and Air Canada will continue to collaborate with the Canadian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Alliance (C-SAF) and government agencies to establish a regulatory framework for SAF. In addition to the investment vehicle, Airbus has also entered into a five-year agreement through Air Canada's "Reduce Travel Program" to offset its corporate travel emissions in Canada. In the initial phase, Airbus will acquire the environmental attributes of 60,000 liters (approximately 15,850 gallons) of SAF from Air Canada, representing Scope 3 emission credits.

Air Canada aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and reduce emissions from its air and ground operations by 2030, compared to a 2019 baseline. In 2025, the airline used 1.6% SAF in its operations. Airbus has also established similar 50-50 sustainable development investment ventures with Qantas in Australia.