Air France Welcomes New Airbus A220 Through Special SAF Delivery Flight
On August 25, 2025, Air France welcomed its 46th Airbus A220-300 in Paris, arriving via a delivery flight from Airbus’s Mirabel assembly plant in Canada. This journey was historic for both the airline and the aircraft type as it marked the first delivery utilizing a blend of 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), certified by Airbus.
The airline highlighted that this achievement underscores the Air France-KLM Group’s dedication to accelerating the decarbonization of air travel. “This flight confirms Airbus’s ability to deliver Proofs of Sustainability (PoS) directly to clients while supporting our industry’s push toward greener practices,” the statement read. The ferry flight of Air France’s 46th A220-300, named “Vaison-La-Romaine” and registered as F-HPNU, represented a notable reduction of over 25 tonnes in lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared to traditional fossil fuels.
Alongside this ground-breaking delivery, Air France-KLM is working with Airbus to lower the carbon footprint of their business travel through a joint initiative to produce SAF. As part of the SAF Corporate program initiated in November 2023, Airbus has already reduced its emissions by more than 2,000 tons of CO₂, through the acquisition of over 670 tons of SAF.
Adding more A220s and increasing SAF utilization demonstrates Air France-KLM Group’s commitment to modernization and environmentally sustainable flying. The airline stated that SAF “plays a pivotal role in minimizing the aviation carbon footprint, promising at least a 65% reduction in CO₂ emissions over its entire lifecycle compared to conventional jet fuel.” Air France-KLM remains one of the top three users of SAF globally, adhering to a strict sourcing policy to ensure the fuel does not compete with food resources or contribute to deforestation.
Fleet Renewal Progress
The expansion of the Airbus A220 fleet is a significant part of Air France’s broader fleet renewal strategy, described as a cornerstone of the Group’s transformation. The Airbus A220 boasts a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions per seat-kilometer when measured against earlier aircraft generations.
With nearly 200 next-gen aircraft on order, including models like the A220, A320neo, and A350, Air France-KLM expects to take delivery of 41 new aircraft in 2024 alone. These investments, amounting to over €2 billion ($2.1 billion) annually, will lead to a fleet comprised of up to 80% new-generation aircraft by 2030. Air France’s first A220-300s have been operating in the medium-haul market since October 2021, based on a total firm order of 60 planes.
What the Parties Say
Blaise Brigaud, SVP Group Sustainability at Air France-KLM, noted, “Fleet renewal and sustainable aviation fuel represent the primary avenues for aviation decarbonization. By merging these efforts, Air France-KLM is proud to highlight this Airbus milestone with our A220 delivery flight.”
“Since enabling SAF use at our Mirabel site for A220 production, this achievement underlines Airbus’s commitment to integrating SAF into both internal operations and customer ferry flights worldwide,” stated Benoît Schultz, CEO of Airbus Canada. “In 2025, we anticipate cutting around 400 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions at Mirabel by incorporating 170,000 litres of pure SAF into our operations.”
A Town Celebrates the A220 Naming
The naming of the newest addition to the Air France fleet has brought excitement to the town of Vaison-La-Romaine, located north of Avignon in the Vaucluse region. The town’s mayor expressed enthusiasm over the aircraft’s designation, celebrating the occasion through social media announcements.
In a social media post, it was shared, “Our city was honored to have ‘Vaison-la-Romaine’ named after it. This new-generation Airbus A220 will now join other cities like Arras and Colmar in representing France globally.”
Additionally, to commemorate the christening of F-HPNU, the town plans to unveil a 1/100th scale model of the Airbus A220 in collaboration with the Vaison Ventoux Provence tourist office, which will be showcased soon in front of the municipal gymnasium.
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