The Truckee Tahoe Airport sees around 44,000 flights a year.
“That includes local flights, itinerant flights, jet, piston, mall aircraft, big aircraft,” said Hardy Bullock, Director of Aviation and Community Services. “At the beginning of the pandemic we did see a slump in operations, and since then we’ve seen a resurgence. People are obviously coming to our area because there’s open space, you have the lake and space to spread out, and a community that’s welcoming to that. There’s been a lot of additional operations here since the pandemic hit.”
And now, through a partnership with Avfuel Corporation, they’re offering sustainable aviation fuel for the jets there.
“It’s made of plants and oils that are recycled, blended in, and turned into jet fuel,” Bullock said. “You wouldn’t know the difference unless you saw the sticker on the side of the truck that says sustainable aviation fuel.”
It’s the first airport in the region to offer the eco-friendly option, something that’s in line with the Airport District’s overall goals.
“We have a plan at the airport to try and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and one of the biggest hydrocarbon usages for our airport is jet fuel,” Bullock said. “So we started with the biggest block and the biggest hurdle first. This is something that’s been talked about for several years and it’s finally a reality. We wanted to be a leader in having that fuel here for our customers.”
He says this is a way to reflect the community the District serves.
“We’re constantly trying to reduce our impact, both on the environment and also from a noise and annoyance perspective,” Bullock said. “We try and give back to our community and create programs that benefit everyone, whether you’re flying in and our of our airport or not; it’s something we’re very proud of.”