This partnership seeks to make lower-emission flights more attainable, especially for operators in areas with limited direct SAF supply.
In a significant move towards decarbonizing regional aviation, ATR, the world's leading regional aircraft manufacturer, has announced a strategic partnership with French SAF aggregator ATOBA Energy. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), inked at the prestigious 2025 Paris Airshow, is designed to explore and implement solutions that will facilitate and accelerate the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by ATR operators worldwide.
The collaboration underscores ATR's unwavering commitment to helping its airline partners reduce their carbon footprint, particularly those regional carriers that face considerable hurdles in accessing SAF due to geographical or logistical constraints. Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, CEO of ATR, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "By working with ATOBA Energy, we are not just promoting SAF — we are looking at making it a viable, scalable solution for operators across our entire global network."
The agreement outlines several key areas of cooperation between ATR and ATOBA Energy. Firstly, they will explore physical delivery solutions to streamline SAF access for regional airlines, a crucial step in overcoming the current limitations of SAF distribution. Secondly, the partnership will provide technical and regulatory support to help airlines seamlessly integrate SAF into their existing operations, ensuring a smooth transition and adherence to evolving industry standards.
A pivotal element of this collaboration is the exploration of the "mass balance model," aligned with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. This innovative approach allows airlines to claim the environmental benefits of SAF without requiring direct physical access to the fuel. This is particularly vital for regional airlines serving remote or underserved areas, where physical SAF delivery might be impractical or uneconomical. The mass balance system ensures that the total claimed volume of SAF matches the amount produced and blended with conventional fuel, maintaining the integrity of sustainability claims and allowing for SAF to be traced and auditable throughout the value chain.
ATOBA Energy, a French start-up, brings invaluable expertise in sustainable fuel purchasing solutions and a strong dedication to accelerating the transition to low-carbon aviation. Arnaud Namer, CEO of ATOBA Energy, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, "Our partnership will be a powerful enabler for scaling SAF use across the industry. Part of it relies on our ‘Book and Claim and Mass Balancing’ model, that allows airlines to benefit from the environmental impact of SAF even if they don’t have physical access to the fuel — which is especially critical for remote or underserved regions."
