Group business travel specialists, Travel Places, have announced the launch of a brand new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) fund, which will provide a unique opportunity for clients to combat the carbon footprint generated by their business travel.
Working in a partnership with British Airways, the travel provider will now offer clients the opportunity to pay a supplement on their tickets to ensure that a proportion of the fuel used for their flight is SAF. This will simultaneously offset their carbon footprint and the indirect (Scope 3) emissions linked to their business travel. Clients will also support further investment into SAF, boosting the scale-up of carbon-free flying.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel For Sustainability
Travel Places works with world-class athletes, sporting governing bodies, international musicians, and production companies from the sports, media, and entertainment sectors. The company manages the travel plans for sporting teams, performers, crew, media, and sponsors. In 2022, Travel Places was certified for ISO 20121, a voluntary international standard for sustainable event management that demonstrates a dedication to minimizing environmental impact.
The SAF, used as part of the new fund, is currently provided to British Airways by Phillips 66 from their Humber Refinery as part of a multi-year supply agreement made in 2021. The fuel is created using waste cooking oil as feedstock, which is supplied to BA via an existing pipeline infrastructure that feeds directly into UK airports.
Nick Warren, Joint Managing Director at Travel Places, said:
“Our clients deliver incredible events that have a positive impact on so many lives, but there is recognition of the impact that travel to these events can have on resources, society and the environment. We are committed to developing solutions that will support our clients as they continue to make progress towards ambitious sustainability goals. It is by working together that we can have the greatest positive impact, so we are delighted to be working with British Airways on this initiative, which demonstrates our shared commitment towards a more sustainable future for our industry.”
Better World: A British Airways Pledge
British Airways introduced its ‘Better World’ campaign in 2021, promising clients and stakeholders that they would take urgent action to reduce emissions and achieve net zero by 2050. Their agreement with Phillips 66 marked them as the first airline in the world to use SAF produced in the UK and was an important reminder to other airlines that they are responsible for making sustainable choices. Indeed, Air France and KLM recently signed a deal with Neste (the world’s leading producer of SAF) to buy 1 mt (approximately 1.26 billion litres) over a period of eight years, starting in 2023.
BA believes that sustainable aviation fuel “can be a game-changer”, and Carrie Harris, the airline’s Director of Sustainability, says that:
“By Travel Places giving its clients the opportunity to purchase SAF, companies are able to better understand and address their emissions and support the advancement, production and commercial rollout of SAF to help reduce aviation’s reliance on fossil fuels.”
What are your thoughts on the future of SAF within the aviation industry? Let us know in the comments below!
