Qatar Airways announced May 31 that it has signed a deal with Shell to source 3,000 metric tons of neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
It encompasses the existing jet-fuel contract with Shell at Amsterdam, which will now see Qatar Airways using at least a 5 percent SAF blend over the contract period for the 2023-’24 fiscal year.
The Qatar Airways bilateral agreement with Shell is part of a wider effort initiated by the oneworld Alliance, which has set target of using SAF for 10 percent of combined fuel volumes by 2030.
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 decarbonization, as neat SAF can reduce full lifecycle emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional jet fuel.
This means that Qatar Airways will be reducing its emissions on flights from Amsterdam by approximately 7,500 tons of CO2 for the fiscal year.
“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 decarbonize the aviation industry,” said Akbar Al Baker, chief executive of Qatar Airways Group. “Last year, we signed our first offtake agreement in the U.S., and now we are placing a multimillion U.S.-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. We remain steadfast in our ambitious target of 10 percent 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 our target. SAF is still three to five times more expensive than fossil-based jet fuel. This is why it is essential for all stakeholders to play their part in facilitating research and development of SAF facilities, enhancing economies of scale, providing financing and placing supportive policies.”
Jan Toschka, president of Shell Aviation, added, “Qatar Airways and Shell have a history of collaboration, so it is fantastic to now work together on decarbonization as we supply them with SAF for the first time. SAF is a key lever for decarbonizing aviation, but scaling its supply and use requires concerted action from across the aviation sector. Today’s agreement is a great example of the collaborative actions that are required to help accelerate aviation’s progress towards net zero.”
Passengers and customers of Qatar Airways are able today to compensate for their flight emissions through the purchase of high-quality carbon credits, credited under International Civil Aviation Organization criteria, the United Nations’ 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 that will allow passengers and customers to offset their emissions by contributing to the cost of SAF.
