China – Cathay Pacific has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by vowing to use Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for 10% of total fuel usage by 2030.
Cathay Pacific has been a trailblazer in promoting SAF development for more than a decade. It was the first airline investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy in 2014, and the airline has already committed to purchasing 1.1 million tonnes of SAF over a 10-year period, covering approximately 2% of its pre-COVID-19 fuel requirements on an annual basis. Cathay Pacific hopes to begin receiving SAF made by Fulcrum and utilize it on a larger scale on flights departing the US in 2024, when Fulcrum can scale up production.
The airline was also the first to collaborate with Airbus to employ SAF on new aircraft delivery flights from its Toulouse, France base. Cathay Pacific has received nearly 40 brand new aircraft using blended SAF since the cooperation began in 2016.
Cathay Pacific is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to achieve a green recovery and a long-term transition to net-zero carbon emissions. Other key components of Cathay Pacific’s carbon reduction roadmap include fleet modernization, operational efficiency improvements, aviation and carbon capture technology innovations, and carbon offsets through its Fly Greener program, which has offset over 300,000 tonnes of carbon emissions since 2007.
Furthermore, Cathay Pacific has already vowed to reduce its absolute ground emissions by 32% from the 2018 baseline by 2030 by improving energy-saving measures and researching renewable energy solutions in its premises and ground operations.
