Leading Australian airline Qantas and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus have partnered with venture capital fund Climate Tech Partners (CTP) to promote the development of SAF and other decarbonisation technologies, Greenair News reported.
The companies had jointly committed to invest A$15M (US$9.6M) with CTP to identify and invest in local and global start-ups in the SAF and aviation technology sectors, the 22 April report said.
Investment would come from a US$200M fund set up by Qantas and Airbus in 2022 aimed mainly at promoting SAF production, Greenair News wrote.
The CTP initiative would help bridge a gap Quantas and Airbus had identified between early-stage climate technologies and commercial scale production, the companies said.
“Sustainable aviation fuel is the most effective tool we have to decarbonise aviation and, with Airbus, we’re investing significantly in ways to make it more available and accessible,” Qantas Group chief sustainability officer Fiona Messent was quoted as saying.
“As well as funding, this partnership will help provide a vote of confidence in new technologies so they can be developed, scaled and integrated in the SAF supply chain, while also providing companies with access to Qantas and Airbus as they develop and test their solutions.”
The Qantas Group includes Qantas international, domestic and regional airlines, low-cost carrier Jetstar and Qantas Freight.
