In France, Airbus reported that the organization of the Tour of France decided to adopt SAF for helicopter operations.
“We use seven to nine helicopters for this big race,” said Jean-Marc Genechesi, director of Hélicoptères de France, one of the brands of French group HGB. “Our helicopters are in fact used by two clients: ASO, the organizer of the Tour, and Euromedia, which provides the images that are broadcast around the world.”
“Reducing the carbon footprint has been one of the Tour’s main concerns for several years,” Genechesi said. “Just as electric cars have been introduced to the convoy, last year ASO asked us to cover a third of all stages with SAF fuel, which we did.”
The H125 helicopter is certified to fly with 50% of SAF, which is the case for all the helicopters within the Airbus range.
Airbus said that HBG is gearing up for this year’s iteration of Tour de France. The group plans to have H125s for ASO’s transportation needs and three for Euromedia for aerial filming and broadcasting. The company also said that SAF will be available at several airports across France.
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