Airbus accelerates Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) adoption with book and claim

Toulouse, March 25. Airbus is taking a significant step toward scaling the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by testing a new “Book and Claim” approach. This initiative aims to boost both supply and demand for SAF worldwide, providing a flexible and scalable solution to accelerate SAF adoption.

The first MoU was signed by SMBC Aviation Capital, followed by AerCap, Comlux, Luxaviation, Novespace, Rive Private Investment and SAF Aerogroup, who confirmed their interest in joining this collaborative initiative, reinforcing the industry-wide intention to increase SAF adoption.

In simple terms, the book and claim approach allows a buyer to “book” a certain amount of SAF and “claim” the corresponding emission reduction, even if the fuel is used elsewhere. Through a pilot programme running throughout 2025, Airbus will leverage this system to improve SAF accessibility for potential customers, particularly those with limited volumes and far from supply points.

As a facilitator, Airbus will purchase SAF certificates and manage the associated sustainability attributes through the registry of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), a recognised sustainability certification body. These certificates will then be resold to interested customers, such as aircraft and helicopter operators, thereby stimulating short-term demand for SAF.

The pilot programme is expected to generate key insights into the capacity and robustness of this innovative book and claim mechanism. It will also assess market interest in third-party facilitation of such integrated SAF solutions.

Julien Manhes, Airbus Head of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Carbon Dioxide Removals, says, “Supporting the SAF Book and Claim mechanism is an immediate solution contributing to the emergence and scale-up of the global SAF market. For a lot of smaller operators, getting access to SAF can be challenging depending on the amount of SAF needed. Through this initiative, Airbus can simplify and derisk the process for operators and SAF suppliers, by financially securing SAF certificates upfront and sharing them when customers need them. This is also a great opportunity to demonstrate Book and Claim is reliable and that its usage should be extended in voluntary and regulatory markets.”