Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are becoming an increasingly important part of the aviation industry, moving towards a more sustainable future. CTM supports organizations and business travelers to understand this transition by displaying SAF scores when booking Lightning Online Booking Tool. This feature places information in front of travel bookers and travelers so they can make smarter travel choices to support their organization’s SDGs.
Businesses, governments and nonprofits are all looking for ways to minimize the environmental impact of their corporate travel. CTM’s sustainability tools have been at the forefront of smarter data, decision-making and measurement throughout the life cycle of business travel.
CTM is pleased to strengthen its partnership with RDC Aviation, a leading airline data analytics company, to provide our customers with viable SAF scores.
“SAF ratings provide CTM customers with additional context to help them make informed decisions about sustainable travel options sitting with RDC’s detailed and accurate emission data in CTM’s Lightning online booking tool. We are honored to partner with CTM to provide meaningful insights for business travelers.” Gareth Kitching, Director of Operations, RDC Aviation.
What is sustainable aviation fuel?
SAF works the same way as traditional jet fuel, and you usually hear it as “pour fuel”, can be mixed with jet fuel and used in commercial airlines without significant changes to the aircraft or its engines. Today, SAF can be used as biofuels, waste fuels or synthetic “electronic fuels” in three ways.
- Biofuels: Crops can be grown and fermented to turn sugar or fat into ethanol.
- Waste fuel: The cooking oils, greases and other oils used can be refined into jet fuel.
- Electronic fees: Where electricity is used to divide water into hydrogen and oxygen, then use hydrogen in combination with carbon dioxide to make liquefied hydrocarbons such as diesel engines and jet fuels.
The International Air Travel Agency (IATA) estimates that SAF may contribute about 65% of the emissions required to reduce by 2050 to achieve net carbon dioxide emissions. As policy support becomes global, the acceleration is expected to be the largest in the 2030s.
SAF scores – What are they?
To provide the most comprehensive assessment of airline adoption, the scores displayed in Lightning provided by RDC Aviation include several different data points, including but not limited to:
- Partnerships/Development: An agreement between an airline and a provider to test, develop and/or produce SAF.
- SAF Offtake Protocol: Arrangement between airlines and manufacturers to purchase SAF.
- Produce shares: SAF production partnership (airline as a company partner).
- Carbon dioxide offset: Airlines and/or passengers offset carbon emissions.
- Sustainability Program: SAF as the standard for airline sustainability programs.
- Fleet’s efficiency: Reflect on investment in modern, efficient equipment and aircraft.
The key factor in scoring is the airline’s commitment to sustainable aviation, which includes the goal of using SAF in the future. Depend on RDC Aviation As part of this assessment and scoring, data about 250 leading world airlines include:
- Current Percentage: The amount of SAF used can be over the entire network range, or on a specific route displayed in lightning.
- Commitment percentage: The quantity of SAF promised to purchase. This can be on the entire network or on the displayed route.
- Commitment date: The SAF commitment will be implemented on a specific date.
How do CTM customers use SAF scores?
When viewing flight results, Lightning users will be able to see SAF scores for all 250+ leading airlines, along with other key flight information used to determine appropriate selections, such as price, built-in status, seat availability, granular carbon emissions, and other planned data such as on-time performance.
Users can sort the results by SAF scores and first highlight these airlines with AAA SAF scores. CTM will also provide SAF scores upon request inclusion of data in its preferred airline review and contract process or airline RFP requirements.
The increase in SAF score further enhances Lightning’s sustainability capabilities, including carbon emissions from air, hotels and cars; the ability of EVs and hybrid vehicles to filter and prefer cars and the ability to classify flights, hotels and cars in a way that is minimally emitted.
