Qantas to use sustainable aviation fuel for outbound London flights from Jan

Australia's flag carrier Qantas Airways will become the country's first airline to start purchasing blended sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, from January, for regular scheduled services from London, the company said Dec. 14, as it looks to cut carbon emissions.

"We know that climate change is incredibly important for our customers, employees and investors and it is a major focus for the national carrier as we come out of a difficult couple of years," Qantas Group Chief Sustainability Officer Andrew Parker said in a statement.

The move will help the airline reduce carbon emissions by about 10% for those flights, advancing its sustainability target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, the national carrier said. Outbound London flights represent up to 15% of Qantas' annual fuel consumption.

Qantas, which plans to release its interim sustainability target in the first half of 2022, said it has signed a deal with strategic partner BP to purchase 10 million liters of SAF next year, with an option to buy up to an additional 10 million liters in 2023 and 2024 for flights from the Heathrow Airport.

The fuel will be produced with certified bio-feedstock from used cooking oil and/or other waste products, and blended with normal jet fuel, it said.

Aviation biofuels typically deliver an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis, compared with the conventional fuel being replaced, and is a crucial tool for airlines to cut their environment impact, Qantas said.

"The technology is already tried and tested, and it can be used in the aircraft we have now, which is why government and industry overseas are investing heavily to build their own SAF industries," Parker said.

Green moves

The use of SAF is rising globally, particularly in Europe, the UK, and the US, as governments and the aviation industry work together to steadily decarbonize the sector.

"Given the importance of aviation to Australia, and the distances we travel, there's a huge opportunity to build a local SAF industry here," Parker said.

Qantas and Jetstar, an Australian low-cost carrier and part of Qantas, have flown several demonstration flights using SAF, including a flight across the Pacific in 2018 powered by biofuel from mustard seeds.

Last month, Qantas' frequent flyer program announced a world-first green membership tier that rewards members for making sustainable choices at home and when they travel.

The carrier said it is in talks to access SAF at its other overseas ports, such as Los Angeles, and recently joined the oneworld airlines alliance to use SAF for flights from San Francisco from 2024.

Volume agreements are critical to lower SAF costs, which can be several times more expensive than traditional jet kerosene, Qantas said.

Zero emission technologies, including electric aircraft or green hydrogen, were still a very long way off for the aviation sector, and further away for long haul flights, such as London to Australia, Parker said. SAF and high-quality carbon offsetting therefore become vital to achieving net zero emissions.