Friday 2 July 2021

‘First’ net zero charter flights take off

Last week 16 British Airways flights from Stuttgart to Atlanta were powered using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with IAG Cargo claiming it was the first time that charter flights were operated on net zero emissions.

IAG Cargo, working alongside Kuehne+Nagel, sourced 1.2 million litres of SAF from Neste, which it claims can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared with fossil fuels for jets.

However, the SAF used on the 16 flights was mixed with fossil jet fuel to comply with aviation fuel standards. The flights carried 45 tonnes of industrial goods to Atlanta.

John Cheetham, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Cargo, said: “IAG was the first European airline group to commit to powering 10% of its flights with sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. These charters mark IAG Cargo’s first step on that journey. We’re incredibly proud of our commitment to long-term sustainability, helping to reduce carbon footprint overall.

“We are constantly looking at ways which reduce our impact on the environment whilst improving our customer offering and we were delighted to support Kuehne+Nagel with sourcing Neste-produced SAF to power these landmark charters, the first of many.”