Aberdeen Airport welcomes first supply of SAF

Credit: ABZ

Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ) has welcomed its first commercial delivery of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The SAF was delivered by Air bp and will be blended with traditional jet fuel for Bristow flights to bp’s North Sea offshore operations in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

bp is the first North Sea operator to voluntarily commit to an ongoing supply of SAF for its North Sea flights, helping to decarbonise the transport to its offshore operations.

Mark Beveridge, Operations Director at Aberdeen International Airport commented: “This is an important announcement for Aberdeen International Airport and the North East of Scotland.

“It is recognised globally that SAF will play a major role in making jet zero aviation a reality and SAF has the potential to significantly reduce UK aviation emissions. bp’s decision to make SAF commercially available at Aberdeen is a significant moment.

“There is a real opportunity for Aberdeen to help drive a domestic SAF industry here in the UK and in doing so, we can support the decarbonisation of the oil and gas sector transport.”

SAF has the potential to play an important role in meeting the aviation industry’s carbon reduction targets and is recognised as part of the government’s jet zero strategy and ambition to drive net zero aviation by 2050.

In 2021, Bristow, bp’s helicopter operator of its North Sea flights, completed one of the first SAF-powered flights in the UKCS flying an S-92 helicopter from Aberdeen International Airport to installations operated by bp.