Qatar Airways has signed a deal with Shell to source 3,000 metric tonne of neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.
The deal encompasses the existing jet fuel contract with Shell at Amsterdam which will now see Qatar Airways using at least a 5 per cent SAF blend over the contract period for the fiscal year 2023-2024, the company said in a statement.
“The Qatar Airways bilateral agreement with Shell is part of a wider effort initiated by the oneworld alliance, which has a set target of using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for 10 per cent of combined fuel volumes by 2030,” it said.
Qatar Airways is the first carrier in the Middle East and Africa to procure a large SAF amount in Europe beyond government SAF mandates. SAF offers significant potential for decarbonisation as neat SAF can reduce full lifecycle emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to conventional jet fuel. “This means that Qatar Airways will be reducing its emissions on flights from Amsterdam by approximately 7,500 tonnes of CO2Â for the fiscal year,” it added.
“At Qatar Airways, we are strongly committed to supporting the industry’s effort to ramp-up the use of sustainable aviation fuel, as one of the key pillars to decarbonise the aviation industry. Last year, we signed our first offtake agreement in the US, and now we are placing a multi-million US dollar SAF deal in Amsterdam to illustrate our SAF commitment and reiterate our calls for a more robust SAF supply chain across our global network,” Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive, Qatar Airways Group said.
He further said the company remains steadfast in its ambitious target of 10 per cent SAF use by 2030 and this announcement, establishes another landmark for Qatar Airways that underlines the positive outcome of the industry’s collaboration which is critical to accelerating the SAF supply and achieving its target.
“Qatar Airways and Shell have a history of collaboration, so it is fantastic to now work together on decarbonisation as we supply them with SAF for the first time. SAF is a key lever for decarbonising aviation, but scaling its supply and use requires concerted action from across the aviation sector. This agreement is a great example of the collaborative actions that are required to help accelerate aviation’s progress towards net zero,” Jan Toschka, President of Shell Aviation said.
Passengers and customers of Qatar Airways are now able to compensate for their flight emissions through the purchase of high-quality carbon credits, credited under International Civil Aviation Organization criteria, the UN’s aviation body.
Qatar Airways currently invests in carbon credit projects that generate renewable energy, which help in reducing carbon emissions. Qatar Airways is also working on introducing a solution which will allow passengers and customers to offset their emissions by contributing to the cost of SAF.
