How Book and Claim enables SAF use for HEMS operations

Book and Claim is helping to promote the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with the deployment of two H145 helicopters for EMS missions in Catalonia. This major innovation has been made possible by close collaboration between SAF Hélicoptères and Airbus. 

SAF (Service Aérien Français) Hélicoptères is a long-standing operator in France. However, the acronym SAF also now stands for *Sustainable Aviation Fuel. It might be a happy coincidence that a service contract has brought the two SAFs together, but this link-up also provides a valuable lesson for the future.

“Under the terms of our service contract with the Catalan Department of Health’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS), we provide two H145 helicopters along with the pilots, technical aircrew, line maintenance and training,” explains SAF Hélicoptères co-director, Jean-Louis Camus. “These two helicopters support two hospital bases, which in turn supply the medical teams.”  So far, so very traditional. What is less conventional is the environmental stipulation written into the contract signed by both parties.

“The decision to mandate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in our RFP reflects our core value of environmental responsibility,” stresses Juan Carlos Gomez Herrera, from the Catalan administration. “It’s a natural extension of our duty to promote public health – not only through immediate medical care, but also by reducing long-term environmental impacts.”

SAF Hélicoptères responded to this requirement by taking advantage of the *Book and Claim system in cooperation with Airbus Helicopters. But what does it actually entail?

Understanding Book and Claim 

Using SAF requires the fuel to be made available at a given airfield, by means of pipelines or tankers. While the logistics are perfectly possible for a major airport, they remain out of reach for a small hospital helipad. Therefore, instead of promoting the fuel by using it directly, the system requires payment to be made for a specific production volume. The fuel itself is then consumed by another operator. “In my contract, I state that I will pay the equivalent of a portion of my helicopters’ fuel usage in exchange for a certificate,” summarises Jean-Louis Camus. “But what sounds like a simple solution on paper is actually quite complex to implement.”

This assessment is backed up by Laurie Ceccan, who is responsible for Book and Claim at Airbus Helicopters. “In the short term, SAF is the key component in our plans to decarbonise aviation. We have therefore invested a lot of time and effort in this system, in which Airbus acts as a facilitator. We source SAF certificates at the best price through direct calls for tenders from producers. Then we work with the platform provided by our partner RSB to manage and transfer these certificates to our clients. The process is totally transparent for the operator and the end user of the helicopters. Ultimately, the convergence of everyone’s goodwill allows us to achieve this solution.”

This collaboration has allowed us to see how the Book and Claim system can provide traceable, verifiable SAF benefits, even where direct physical supply is not feasible,” notes Juan Carlos Gomez Herrera. “The SAF certification system implemented by RSB and supported by Airbus provides the independent verification, traceability and compliance we require to ensure credibility. This rigorous validation guarantees that the SAF attributes we purchase translate into real, measurable carbon reductions – consistent with our ethical code’s emphasis on honesty, accountability and sustainability.”

Catalonia’s ambition is now to strengthen its requirements for SAF in future calls for tender. At SAF Hélicoptères, there is a readiness to extend Book and Claim to other applications. For its part, Airbus Helicopters is promoting the scenario to its clients. It seems the stars are aligning to give SAF its rightful place in the world of rotary wing aviation.

About SAF Hélicoptères

SAF Hélicoptères is a major player in the French and international helicopter world, going back more than 40 years. Three service lines have dominated the group’s activities from the outset: medical evacuation and HEMS, firefighting, and humanitarian missions. Today, SAF employs 600 people with a global fleet of more than 100 helicopters based at some 40 locations around the world.

SAF was the first private operator of the H145 and currently has seven of the type in service, including the two in Catalonia. It also operates 20 H125s, 21 H135s and seven Super Pumas.

About Emergency Medical Services (EMS): Helicopters serving the Catalan people

Covering an area of 32,108 km² and with a population of over eight million, Catalonia’s geography makes the helicopter an essential mode of transport for emergency services in the most tricky-to-access areas. With four bases at its disposal, Catalonia can guarantee a response time of under 30 minutes in 90% of cases. Around 3,000 missions are flown every year, resulting in a total of 2,000 flight hours. Some 85% of the activities involve emergency evacuations, while the remaining 15% relate to inter-hospital transfer flights.

*Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a synthetic fuel. In order to be considered sustainable, it must be made from renewable sources or feedstocks, such as used cooking oils, fats, plant oils, municipal, agricultural and forestry waste. It must also meet a set of stringent sustainability requirements including regulations set by ICAO’s CORSIA scheme and the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED). These requirements include food security, water management and human rights considerations. For example, SAF certification bodies independently verify that feedstocks for SAF do not divert resources needed for food production.

**Book and Claim is not recognised by the regulated markets – neither by the EU Renewable Energy Directive nor by CORSIA. However, Airbus believes this could be a powerful lever to make Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) more accessible and is advocating for the recognition of this lever.