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