UK-based travel management company CT Business Travel has joined Air France-KLM’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) programme.

The airline group, which launched its corporate SAF platform in 2021, allows companies to reduce their carbon footprint from travel by contributing to the production and use of the sustainable fuel, which can cut carbon emissions from flights by up to 80 per cent compared with traditional jet fuel.

Clare Collins, managing director and owner of CT Business Travel, said: “Climate change is a worldwide issue and should be treated as such, therefore by taking responsibility and contributing, we are helping to support and protect not just the planet but the future of our industry.

“As a business we have chosen to take these steps to support and collaborate with Air France–KLM and we hope this encourages other industry partners to do the same.”

CT Business Travel, based in Kent, is the 31^st largest TMC in the UK according to BTN Europe’s list of Europe’s Leading TMCs 2022.

Air France-KLM has already seen several UK-based clients join its SAF programme, including travel agencies. The group also last year agreed a deal to buy one million tons of sustainable fuel over an eight-year period.

Despite the increase in the production of SAF in the past few years, it currently only accounts for less than 1 per cent of the fuel used on commercial flights. SAF was one of the major industry developments featured in BTN Europe’s Hotlist 2023.

Fahmi Mahjoub, general manager of Air France-KLM in the UK and Ireland, added: “This is a major step forward in addressing our sustainability challenge as an aviation company by partnering with a travel management company like CT Business Travel to help the environment. 

“Today marks the start of a new level of co-operation across the industry and we hope that this news helps spread the awareness in the UK and that more companies will join us in making SAF more readily available around the globe.”