Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream welcomed Hariharan to her new role, which begins immediately. “Sustainability continues to be a major focus for our company and the business aviation industry”, he said. “Gulfstream is committed to supporting [parent company] General Dynamics’ goal of reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon dioxide emissions by 40% by 2034, relative to 2019.”

Hariharan’s expertise will help the OEM accelerate the pace of its sustainability progress, said Burns. “We look forward to the insights and knowledge she will bring as we continue to lead the industry in our efforts.”

He added: “Gulfstream is innovating for a sustainable future. We are committed to doing our part in advancing the industry forward to achieve our shared sustainability goals.” 

Gulfstream’s next-generation aircraft offers fuel-efficiency gains of up to 33% over predecessor models, according to the manufacturer. The company has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 18% since 2014 while expanding facilities by 30%. In November 2023, Gulfstream completed the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in both engines. 

Earlier this year, Gulfstream joined the International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEG) supplier assessment initiative to manage its environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk and compliance by guiding the sustainability performance improvement of its supply chain. Under the terms of this agreement, all Gulfstream suppliers will share their sustainability strategy to determine ESG risk and identify any opportunities to improve overall sustainability performance.

This voluntary programme is designed to accelerate sustainability performance and improvement within aerospace and its extended supply chain. The goal is to drive positive change and create a more sustainable and resilient supply chain, it said. 

Meanwhile, Hariharan joins Gulfstream from Haliburton where she served as the global head of sustainability for Halliburton Energy Services. In this role, she developed Halliburton’s global short and long-term sustainability strategy and oversaw governance, internal and external benchmark data, as well as engagements with internal and external stakeholders.

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“The 2023 Sustainability Report for Luxaviation Group is not just a reflection of our impact and progress but a roadmap for our future. Our commitment goes beyond regulatory compliance, leading by example and inspiring positive change within and beyond the sector,” said Patrick Hansen, CEO, Luxaviation Group.

The company said that it made significant progress on its commitment to sustainability and innovation in aviation.

“In 2023, we made progressive strides in understanding and thereby reducing our environmental impact. Our expanded use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the electrification of our ground vehicles have set new industry benchmarks for eco-friendly practices. These initiatives are part of our broader goal to transparently lead the industry towards a more responsible future,” said the company in its statement.

In an effort to reduce ground emissions, the FBO operator initiated electrification of its FBO GHE. The move will help minimise environmental impact and enhances operational efficiency. Meanwhile, ExecuJet, part of the Luxaviation Group, has already achieved 57% of its 2030 GHE electrification target.

The company also adopted rigorous waste reduction strategies notably aiming to reduce single-use plastic bottles and cans across all ExecuJet FBOs by 60% by 2025, with complete elimination targeted by 2026.

It also shared plans to reinforce its sustainability strategy through multi-stakeholder engagement programme and collaborations with industry stakeholders, including aircraft manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and environmental organisations. Towards this, Luxaviation has partnered with business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis to improve transparency and drive positive impact across supply chains.

Moreover, Luxaviation has also partnered with sustainability solutions provider Azzera and vertiport developer EVTOL Networks to explore green solutions for aviation. 

Read the full report here.

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On Saturday night, an earthquake monitoring station in Edinburgh, Scotland picked up a tremor. It was caused by 75,000 Taylor Swift fans jumping at a concert 3.5 miles (6km) away. Swift’s Eras Tour has set seismic records around the world – in Seattle a concert registered the equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.

You would have to be fearless or foolish to attack Swift.

But this week, in the early daylight, two environmental protestors from Just Stop Oil cut through the fence surrounding the UK’s Stansted Airport. Their aim was to paint Swift’s gorgeous aircraft. They did not find it. Instead, they sprayed orange paint on two private jets and demanded an emergency treaty to end fossil fuels by 2030. They were arrested. The aircraft are no doubt clean now.

This is not the first time that pressure groups have criticised Swift’s jet use and tried to make her an anti-hero. But going after her reputation  could be a mistake. She is Miss Americana. A 2023 survey by Morning Consult said that 53% of adult Americans are Swift fans. Some 44% described themselves as Swifties. These mega-fans know her love story. They followed her flight back from Tokyo on a business jet to watch her lover Travis Kelce win the Superbowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The day before the protestors attempted to paint her jet, Just Stop Oil was widely condemned for painting some of the Stonehenge ancient stone circle orange, damaging rare delicate lichen.

In its wildest dreams, business aviation could not have picked a better role model. Swift uses business aviation to travel around the world in style, creating a gold rush in every country she performs in.

Sweden’s core inflation rose by 3% in May, with many blaming this on cash brought into the country by Swift’s fans (her friend Beyoncé also did this last May). A Bloomberg survey of economists estimated that just the five concerts in Singapore added between $225m and $300m (SGD400m) to the country’s economy.

Nomura estimates that the 53 concerts that made up the first US portion of the Eras Tour generated $5bn and raised US GDP by 0.02%. Ticket prices rose so high that many American fans are flying around the world to watch her.

We know all too well that this economic argument will not satisfy business aviation’s critics. At Corporate Jet Investor London green activists and politicians argued that business jets should be banned because of inequality as much as environmental effects (and that the two are linked – see below). It is champagne problems as much as carbon. There is nothing new about this argument.

“I think that’s where we should focus our attention in terms of conversation, as opposed to trying to fight off either those early adapters or the naysayers,”

At EBACE Michael Amalfitano, president of Embraer Executive Jets, said the industry should focus on winning the argument outside minorities. “You start to see the movable middle. I think that’s where we should focus our attention in terms of conversation, as opposed to trying to fight off either those early adapters or the naysayers,” he said. “It’s education. It’s collaboration.” The industry needs to fill that blank space.

Swift already buys carbon credits, but there is also the opportunity to publicise Sustainable Aviation Fuel. In 2019 Coldplay, a UK popular music group, said it would stop touring because of sustainability concerns. The band’s cardigan-wearing fans were delighted when it re-started concerts in 2022 after agreeing a deal with Neste to use SAF made from used cooking oil on its flights (not everyone agreed).

By targeting the enchanted Swift and her fans, protestors have pushed Amalfitano’s middle towards business aviation’s greatest ambassador. Ironically, one of the arrested protestors actually met Swift on a past UK tour. She knew better than to try to disrupt a concert. There would have been bad blood everywhere.

PS: Real Swifties should be able to spot at least 22 song titles in this piece.

The Green Party, Possible and Safe Landing were invited to Corporate Jet Investor London 2024 to explain why they believe that business jets should be banned. They did not hold back.

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The Texas-based air charter specialist strongly believes business aviation users are changing their flying habits due to “fear of the optics”. He says fear and regulation will not provide an ultimate solution as private aviation users will sell their aircraft and charter instead to reduce the traceability of their flight taking.

“Aviation as whole is only responsible for 1.5% of all carbon emissions,” explains Singh (pictured below). “Why don’t we tackle the big issues? The biggest issue that we have is not the private jet industry causing carbon emissions. It is your landfills. If you look at the collection of trash when we recycle plastic in America, it’s not recycled. It goes to the same dump. But we feel like we are saving the environment by putting it in a separate plastic bag.”

There should be no shame in repositioning a CEO seven minutes further to save four hours of his time. He makes the point that two of the biggest polluting countries in the world — China and India — have less than 1,000 private jets between them. “Dallas Love Field has 95 aircraft, one small airfield. Private aviation is not the big polluter.”

Singh says the owner of French multinational LVMH has sold his aircraft recently and now charters instead. IBM just downsized its entire flight department. Whilst Allstate, 3M, VF Corp and SteelCase among others have closed flight departments down entirely.

 “We are all masking and disguising our habits, but we are not solving the underlying problem. People need to understand the value of our industry and it is our job to educate them.”

The issue then for those who use their aircraft upwards of 300 hours per year is that it makes much more economic sense to own rather than charter, says Singh. “The cents and dollars won’t add up. You are spending so much it is better to go out there buy the product. Plus, in the US you will get the depreciation right off the bat.”

Private aircraft create hundreds of jobs that enable small airports to continue operations, according to Singh. This is how the model works in terms of creating employment at smaller aviation facilities in the US, because there is no subsidy from government and no interest from scheduled airlines. 

“If you’re city needs a big factory but doesn’t have a small satellite airport, it is more than likely executives won’t even look there in the first place,” explains Singh. “Which can and does induce poverty. A private aircraft on the other hand allows executives to travel to an area and see its potential and then continue to travel there once they facility is setup. It is crucial we keep these small airports alive and business aviation does that.”

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Embraer first entered into a SAF agreement with Avfuel in July 2021 under which it received one 8,000-gallon truckload of Neste MY SAF per quarter to Sheltair MLB, the FBO that provides storage and handling services for Embraer.  

Under the new agreement, the Avfuel will make weekly SAF deliveries from April onwards. The partnership is expected to result in a total of 240,000 gallons of SAF delivered to Embraer in 2024.

“Embraer’s collaboration with Avfuel and Sheltair marks a pivotal milestone in our journey toward net-zero emission flight operations,” said Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “Our continued investment in SAF demonstrates our dedication to reducing emissions today and driving the industry closer to the net-zero aviation goal by 2050.”

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Victor is partnering with Finnish SAF producer Neste. To date, the company said it has had 427 SAF bookings, with average spend per booking at AED4,500, helping it achieve total CO2 reduction of 653 tonnes.

Sharing its learnings, the company said that: “One in five private aircraft charterers are willing to pay an additional AED4,500 for SAF per booking, providing an average carbon emission reduction of 1.5 tonnes. The average amount of Jet-A fossil fuel Victor customers choose to replace with SAF is 30% per booking. Victor’s aim in 2024 is for at least one in five MENA customers to buy SAF for their jet charter bookings”.

The company said it is working on two-pronged approach of increasing voluntary SAF demand and encourage adoption of its SAF blueprint by other business and commercial aviation companies across MENA.

“Our results in partnership with Neste evidence many flyers acknowledge they are living beyond their environmental means and will therefore voluntarily pay more for their carbon consumption when they fly.  We strongly advocate for the wider aviation industry to accelerate SAF demand by enabling all flyers to voluntarily buy SAF,” said Toby Edwards, co-CEO, Victor.

Victor recently relocated its headquarters to Abu Dhabi from the UK.

Victor and Neste signed a partnership agreement in June 2022 for SAF purchases.

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With this arrangement, Azzera will supply a portfolio of carbon credits rated through Azzera’s Impact Score. The engine manufacturer’s Carbon Offset Service is available to all Pratt & Whitney Canada-powered aircraft including business jets, helicopters and regional and general aviation aircraft. 

“Our collaboration with Pratt & Whitney Canada underscores our shared commitment to driving sustainability in the aviation sector,” said Puja Mahajan (pictured right), CEO and co-founder of Azzera. “The Azzera Impact Score ensures that the carbon credits provided are both high-quality and have verified and significant environmental impact. Working with customers such as Pratt & Whitney Canada, we are making it easier for aircraft operators to not only offset their emissions but also to understand and quantify the positive environmental impact of their contributions.”

The Azzera Impact Score serves as a quality assurance measure for carbon credit projects. It addresses concerns in the voluntary carbon markets regarding the validity and impact of carbon credits, offering a tangible and auditable metric that mitigates the risk of greenwashing.

“We are committed to providing our customers a seamless way of offsetting aviation carbon emissions,” said Irene Makris, vice president, Customer Service, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Through our arrangement with Azzera, we provide our customers with a means to compensate for their aviation emissions and help them ensure the quality of their sustainability investment. We are focusing exclusively on CORSIA-eligible credits, adding an additional layer of due diligence to our Carbon Offset Service.” 

Azzera will be showcasing its products and services at Booth J37 during this year’s EBACE in Geneva, Switzerland.

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The Los Angeles facility joins Signature’s San Francisco FBO which has already made the switch to 100% SAF.

“This is a transformative time for Signature, and our partnership with Neste is helping us take another significant step towards net zero by providing a 100% supply of blended SAF at our Los Angeles location,” said Derek DeCross, company’s chief commercial officer.

“This collaboration exemplifies how we’re working together with both our guests and our partners to accelerate the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and paving the way for a more sustainable future in aviation.”

Signature said that customers who don’t want to pay the SAF price that it won’t affect them as the premium will be transferred to the book and claim system.

The system allows customers to buy SAF credits at any Signature location globally, paying the price difference. They’ll get environmental credit, but the actual eco-friendly fuel will be used by another plane elsewhere, like in Los Angeles where it’s available.

The operator recently passed the 30m gallon mark in terms of total SAF delivered throughout its network.

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The event, held from May 28th to 30th, is co-hosted by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).

Jet Aviation will deliver a 35% blend of SAF to GVA for the event, marking the company’s third year providing SAF for EBACE.

“We are delighted to bring SAF to EBACE again this year,” said Joao Martins, vice president of FBO operations in Europe and GM Zurich, Jet Aviation. Jet Aviation will also make SAF available through its book and claim program.

In addition to ensuring availability of SAF, the event offers a variety of sustainability-focused experiences including a dedicated summit to help the industry towards net-zero, cutting-edge alternative propulsion technologies, future of urban transportation,  and the Innovation Pavilion to unveil next-generation sustainable aircraft and new industry sustainability standards.

“Business aviation is increasing efficiency and reducing carbon emissions on the ground and in the air. SAF remains a cornerstone of our plan for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. We thank Jet Aviation for stepping forward to make SAF and its benefits available to those joining us at what will be an exciting EBACE,” said Ed Bolen, President and CEO, NBAA.

Meanwhile, EBAA Secretary General Holger Krahmer said: “We need to continue to increase the availability, production and use of SAF, and we applaud Jet Aviation for playing such an important role in expanding sustainable fuel supplies around the world.”

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The FBO will supply a maximum blend of up to 35% SAF with Jet A1 fuel, certified to meet the highest standards. The SAF provided is derived from used cooking oil, a renewable feedstock which is refined through the Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) process.

“As the industry aligns with global environmental goals and the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change, sustainability stands as a cornerstone of Luxaviation Group, paving the way for a more sustainable future in aviation. We strive to set new standards and inspire others to join us in embracing innovation to enhance corporate social responsibility,” said Patrick Hansen, CEO, Luxaviation Group.

The announcement follows the FBO’s recent transition to fully electric ground handling equipment (GHE) in an effort towards sustainable aviation.

The FBO is managed under the ExecuJet brand.

In terms of carbon savings, the FBO operator said that flying from ExecuJet Paris Le Bourget FBO to ExecuJet Johannesburg FBO on a Global 7500 utilising a 35% blend of SAF/Jet A1fuel, customers can reduce their CO2 emissions by approximately 20 tons.

Luxaviation Group already offers its customers the ability to use SAF on flights to cut their flight’s carbon emissions via the Luxaviation App.

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