Air France to match customers’ voluntary contributions to SAF purchases during 2024 Olympics in Paris

Photo: Air France

As an official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympics Games, Air France has announced that it will be matching the amount of each customer subscription to the “Environment-Sustainable Aviation Fuels” option during the Paris 2024 Games.

This is effective from March 13 and will automatically apply to all bookings for travel between July 18 and Sept. 9, 2024, to destinations in mainland France, as well as French Polynesia.

If a customer makes a contribution of 50 euros (USD$54.41), this will be matched by Air France, making a total of 100 euros (USD$108.82).

Since 2022, the “Environment-Sustainable Aviation Fuels” option has been available when purchasing an Air France flight on the airfrance.com website or the Air France app.

All the funds raised are invested in the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

By 2030, Air France aims to incorporate at least 10 percent SAF on all its flights worldwide, compared with 1 percent today.

This target goes beyond the European incorporation mandates.

In 2023, and for the second year running, the Air France-KLM Group was the world’s leading user of SAF.

To reduce its environmental footprint as quickly as possible, Air France has developed an ambitious decarbonization trajectory, aiming for a 30 percent reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger/kilometer by 2030, compared with 2019.

Called Air France Act, this program is based on several levers:

• Fleet renewal: By using the latest generation of aircraft, the Airbus A350 and A220, reducing fuel consumption by 20 percent to 25 percent and reducing the noise footprint by more than a third. Every year, Air France invests over 1 billion euros (USD$1.09 billion) in fleet renewal. By 2030, the airline’s fleet will comprise 80 percent of new-generation aircraft (compared to 21 percent currently and 45 percent by the end of 2025).

• The increased use of SAF.

• Operational measures including ecopiloting (taxiing on one engine, direct flight paths in liaison with air-traffic control, continuous descents).

• The development of intermodality (combining a train trip and a flight in a single booking).

Air France said it is committed to developing the use of SAF as much as possible, starting today, as a decisive lever for decarbonizing air transport.

Air France intends to lead the way by supporting the development of production facilities in France, Europe and around the world.

Made from nonfossil resources such as used oils or agricultural waste, they are a substitute for fossil fuel.

The SAF selected by Air France-KLM reduce CO2 emissions by at least 75 percent over their entire lifecycle, from production to combustion, compared to fossil fuel.

They meet strict sustainability criteria, as they do not compete with food chains and are not made from palm oil.

They can be blended with conventional fuel without modifying aircraft, engines or logistics and storage infrastructures.