Korean Air and GS Caltex to Test SAF on Select International Routes

Dark/Light Mode (29/06/23)  Korean Air has partnered with GS Caltex, a Korean energy and chemical company, to conduct flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The test flights using SAF will be analyzed and the results will be used by the Korean government to establish SAF quality standards and accelerate commercialization.

The partnership is aligned with the Korean government’s initiative to boost the supply of eco-friendly biofuels. Both companies will proactively participate in the government project with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), as well as the Korea Petroleum Quality & Distribution Authority and Incheon International Airport Corporation.

Korean Air B777 reg: HL8008 at LHR in June 2023. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

Korean Air will use SAF supplied by GS Caltex on select international flights departing from Seoul Incheon.

The test flights will take place for six months starting in the second half of 2023, and the government plans to establish SAF implementation guidelines for domestic use based on the results of the flights.

“SAF is crucial in reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector, but is easily influenced by various factors such as domestic and international policies, regulations, and demand and supply,” said Seong Bae Cho, Senior Vice President of Procurement at Korean Air. “The cooperative effort with GS Caltex will vitalize the Korean domestic SAF market, and will serve as stepping stones for the Korean government’s decarbonization policies.”

Unlike nonrenewable fossil fuels, SAF is manufactured from eco-friendly and/or recycled materials such as animal and vegetable oils, algae and solid waste, and may reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional fossil jet fuel.

SAF usage is on the rise, and the EU is mandating airlines refueling in its territory to use a minimum 2% SAF blend from 2025.

Many countries including the United States are introducing a variety of policies to expand SAF production through incentives such as tax deduction and the ICAO has urged states to adopt and commit to the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for international flight operations.

Korean Air tested SAF for the first time in November 2017 between Seoul Incheon and Chicago O’Hare, and has been using SAF on its Paris-Seoul Incheon route since last year.

The carrier has also signed an agreement with global energy company Shell to purchase SAF from Shell at major airports in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East for five years starting in 2026.

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