How will Airbus’ Book and Claim approach help accelerate SAF adoption?
While sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) isn’t currently widely available at most airports, Airbus hopes its Book and Claim approach will help broaden the adoption of SAF.…
March 26, 2025
While sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) isn’t currently widely available at most airports, Airbus hopes its Book and Claim approach will help broaden the adoption of SAF.
The airframe manufacturer’s initiative aims to increase both supply and demand for SAF globally by providing a flexible and scalable solution to accelerate its wider adoption across the industry. “Supporting the SAF Book and Claim mechanism is an immediate solution contributing to the emergence and scale-up of the global SAF market,” said Julien Manhes, Airbus Head of SAF and Carbon Dioxide Removals.
Facilitating SAF purchases
Airbus’ programme, which will see the OEM purchasing SAF certificates upfront and managing them through the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) registry, has already gained industry support with SMBC Aviation Capital signing the first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), followed by AerCap, Comlux, Luxaviation, Novespace, Rive Private Investment and SAF Aerogroup. While Airbus will acquire SAF certificates directly many other Book and Claim models rely on third-party brokers or carbon offset marketplaces to handle transactions.
As with other ‘Book and Claim’ initiatives, Airbus’ model allows operators to book a certain amount of SAF and claim the corresponding emissions reduction, no matter where the fuel is uplifted. The objective is to improve SAF accessibility for customers who are located far away from supply points or who require limited volumes. The challenge here is that the success of Book and Claim still depends on having enough SAF production in the first place.
Airbus is piloting its model throughout 2025 to help evaluate the viability of its Book and Claim system and assess market interest in third-party facilitation of SAF transactions. Airbus’ model is also designed to support smaller operators, including business aviation customers and helicopter operators as well as larger airlines.
“For a lot of smaller operators, getting access to SAF can be challenging depending on the amount of SAF needed. Through this initiative, Airbus can simplify and derisk the process for operators and SAF suppliers, by financially securing SAF certificates upfront and sharing them when customers need them,” explained Manhes.
Challenges with Book and Claim
While the Book and Claim approach offers a promising way to accelerate SAF adoption, it still comes with several challenges, one of which is regulatory uncertainty. Some governments and industry regulators do not yet recognise Book and Claim as a valid carbon reduction mechanism. In addition, SAF incentives and regulations vary across regions, creating inconsistencies in how Book and Claim is treated in carbon accounting and compliance methods. Customer perception is another hurdle with some airlines and customers still preferring to refuel with a physical supply of SAF over indirect credits, while others may be skeptical about using SAF certificates. Educating stakeholders about how Book and Claim supports real emissions reduction will be key to the success of Airbus’ approach.
