Signature partners with Neste to supply SAF at Austin, Houston and San Jose

Signature Flight Support announced new permanent supplies of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at three airports: Austin-Bergstrom Int’l Airport in Austin, TX (AUS), Houston-Hobby Airport in Houston, TX (HOU), and the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose, CA (SJC).

In addition to being the first Fixed Base Operator to offer commercially available SAF at any airport in the state of Texas, Signature Flight Support is leading the business aviation industry’s drive towards sustainability as the largest network provider for permanent SAF - which now totals 9 airports around the world.

Signature’s SAF is supplied through its Signature Renew program, and added locations use Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel. The industry-leading 35/65 blend ratio of renewable feedstock and traditional Jet A fuel reduces direct net lifecycle carbon output by 25%, with that number set to increase in the near future as regulators allow for increased blend ratios. The initial agreement for Texas, encompassing over 100,000 gallons of SAF, is expected to yield a 350 metric tonne reduction in aircraft CO2 emissions.

“Signature is achieving yet another first in business aviation’s sustainability journey with the introduction of commercially available SAF in Texas,” said Marty Kretchman, Senior Vice President Operations Planning, Signature Flight Support. “We continue to exhibit SAF growth that can be quantified in the millions of gallons, and to date Signature Renew has prevented thousands of tonnes - not pounds - of CO2 from entering the environment.”

“Sustainable aviation fuel is driving one of the biggest transformations in the business aviation industry that we've seen in a long time," says Chris Cooper, Vice President of Renewable Aviation for Neste in North America. "It's as impactful as the first Boeing 747 flight 40 years ago, which ushered in a new era of affordable air travel. Together, Neste and Signature Flight Support are creating a future where business aviation passengers can fly with a much smaller carbon footprint by revolutionizing what powers aircraft.”

Jacqueline Yaft, CEO at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport commented: “The availability of Sustainable Aviation Fuel at AUS marks an important milestone in our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. We are grateful for Signature’s leadership in sustainable aviation and we look forward to a continued partnership in reaching our goal of carbon neutrality."

Neste and Signature Flight Support formed a strategic partnership to create an efficient, continuous supply of SAF for business aviation in the United States and beyond. Neste has been at the vanguard of sustainable aviation fuel production for nearly a decade and the company expects to have the capacity to produce some 515 million gallons of SAF annually by 2023. Recently, Neste and Signature Flight Support achieved the important milestone of safely delivering one million gallons of SAF to private aircraft at the San Francisco International Airport.

Growing the availability of Sustainable Aviation Fuel is one of the core components of the Signature Renew program. Signature Renew aims to drive business aviation’s adoption of environmentally sustainable practices through a combination of aircraft operator programs, airport infrastructure improvements, and company-wide carbon emission reductions. Signature has set an organizational objective to produce net-zero emissions across its operations by 2030.

To date, Signature offers a Sustainable Aviation Fuel option for privately operated aircraft at its aviation service facilities in California, Washington, Alabama, Texas, and the United Kingdom. Final processing of Signature’s Texas SAF supplies is performed locally at the Galena Park Terminal in Houston, Texas.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 17th June 2021 | Issue #610