An Air France Airbus A220 has completed its delivery flight from Airbus’ Mirabel facility in Canada to Paris using a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), marking the first time Airbus Canada has directly issued official sustainability credentials to a customer.
The aircraft — Air France’s 46th A220-300, named “VAISON-LA-ROMAINE” — was powered by a 50% SAF blend, resulting in more than 25 tonnes of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions savings compared with fossil fuels. The Proofs of Sustainability (PoS) were certified under the ICAO CORSIA scheme, with the SAF used in Mirabel demonstrating up to 85% lifecycle emissions reduction.
Blaise Brigaud, SVP Group Sustainability at Air France-KLM, said the initiative aligned with the group’s strategy: “Fleet renewal and the use of sustainable aviation fuel are the two main levers of the decarbonisation of aviation. Directly receiving SAF at delivery is a game-changer, increasing transparency and driving industry progress.”
Airbus said the move was part of its broader ambition to expand SAF usage across all its sites. Benoît Schultz, CEO of Airbus Canada, noted: “In 2025 alone, we project cutting CO₂ emissions by approximately 400 metric tonnes at our Mirabel site thanks to the 170,000 litres of pure SAF we will integrate. This ferry flight with PoS credits for 50% SAF is a significant step, coming just ahead of Air France’s 50th A220 delivery later this year.”
Currently, all Airbus aircraft can operate with up to 50% SAF, with the company targeting full compatibility with 100% SAF by 2030. In the first half of 2025, Airbus reported that 78% of its aircraft deliveries were made using SAF blends, highlighting the growing role of alternative fuels in the aviation industry’s push towards net-zero by 2050.
Air France has ordered 60 A220-300s, with the type in service since 2021 on its medium-haul network, offering a 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO₂ emissions per seat compared with older aircraft models.
