Paris, France

ADP and Dassault join forces in support of sustainable aviation at Paris-Le Bourget

Dassault Aviation and Groupe ADP (Aeroports de Paris) are joining forces to make Paris-Le Bourget airport a pioneer in sustainable aviation.

The five-year agreement signed by Groupe ADP, Dassault Aviation and DFS strengthens their action in decarbonization at the airport in a number of areas including distribution and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF); the use of electric equipment for all ground operations (fueling, taxiing, towing, etc.) and the use of geothermal power for airport buildings and hangars.

The agreement also contains a section aimed at boosting the airport’s attractiveness in its employment pool.

“At Dassault Aviation, we firmly believe that business aviation must lead the way in decarbonizing the aviation industry," said Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. "Our aircraft are particularly well suited to integrating emission-reducing innovations. And our customers, who are mostly businesses, are backing us in this initiative. We are exploring several technologies, including SAFs which look very promising: our Falcon jets can already fly with fuel containing 50% SAF. However, only mixes with 30% are currently available in the market.

"We must therefore accelerate the process. Our agreement with Groupe ADP will contribute, by furthering our ambition to work together toward the most effective solutions, both in this area and in many others."

Augustin de Romanet, Chairman and CEO of Groupe ADP, explained: “Decarbonizing aviation will begin with small aircraft, and will only be possible with the full involvement of the airport ecosystem. As infrastructure managers, we have a responsibility to accelerate, integrate, and encourage the use of new technologies that make the environmental transition possible.

"Paris-Le Bourget is the first airport in Europe to have a permanent double offering of sustainable aviation fuels. Around 3.2 million liters of SAF were sold in 2023. We are developing our facilities to enable our customers to electrify all of their ground operations. With Dassault Aviation, we are making an unprecedented commitment to see Paris-Le Bourget airport become a model of low-carbon operations, through the full-scale deployment of sustainable fuels and the electrification of all ground operations.”