The International Airlines Group’s (IAG) freight division is the latest to announce a substantial agreement for the uptake of sustainable aviation fuel. IAG Cargo has partnered with Swiss logistics and transport company Kuehne+Nagel to purchase eight million liters of SAF produced in the UK, specifically at the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery in Lincolnshire. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the same facility contracted to supply IAG carrier and UK national airline British Airways with SAF for flights out of a number of domestic airports.
As a Group, IAG was the first to commit to a goal of using 10% SAF by 2030. While the industry is getting more and more excited about synthetic fuels, in order to reach such intermittent targets, airlines will need to rely on the scaling up of biofuel production. The SAF coming out of the Lincolnshire facility is manufactured from sustainable waste feedstocks or so-called advanced biofuel. This can reduce CO2 emissions by around 80% compared to fossil-based fuel over its lifespan.
John Cheetham, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Cargo,, commented,
“Sustainable aviation fuels are supporting the industry to significantly lower carbon emissions and we know reducing carbon footprint is important for our customers, colleagues and partners. I’m delighted that we are once again collaborating with Kuehne+Nagel. This is an important next step in our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. Partnerships like these are key as we continue to look at ways to support sustainable air cargo.”
The IAG Cargo network reaches many parts of the globe. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
A long road ahead
IAG Cargo first partnered with Kuehne+Nagel last year to power a charter chain of 16 flights from Stuttgart, Germany, to Atlanta, Georgia. In response to a growing demand for less polluting transportation options, Kuehne+Nagel has thus far sourced 21 million liters of SAF for its clients….