Wednesday, July 17, 2024
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airBaltic celebrates one year of using enhanced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), marking an important milestone in its commitment to greener and more sustainable air travel.
Latvian national airline airBaltic has offered passengers the option to support climate neutrality by purchasing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). In the first year, nearly 16,000 passengers from different countries chose this environmentally friendly option, boosting demand for sustainable fuel. This initiative led to airBaltic using 18 tonnes of sustainable jet fuel in May 2024 on flights from Spain to Latvia. The sustainable jet fuel, provided by Cepsa, was used to fuel aircraft at Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga airports, reflecting a growing commitment to sustainable aviation.
“At airBaltic, we only use fuels that are recognised by the European Commission. We would like to thank our partner Cepsa for helping us deliver on our promise to our customers. The sustainable aviation fuel we have raised is sourced from used cooking oil and is compliant with the European Commission’s ReFuelEU regulations and legislation.” Andres Zdorz, Head of Procurement and Operations for Fuel at airBaltic, says:
Alvaro Macarro, Director of Sustainable Aviation at Cepsa, said:“Through collaborations like this,
We continue to promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel in the European market, and to enhance
Our commitment to the circular economy goals. Our goal is to lead the production of sustainable fuels in Spain.
Portugal This contract to promote sustainable aviation and help airlines advance
“Decarbonization targets.”
In June 2024, airBaltic will begin offering passengers the option to add more sustainable jet fuel to their flights. “We have demonstrated our customers’ willingness to voluntarily add sustainable jet fuel, and we have seen a steady interest in this initiative. The upcoming European Commission mandates will require the use of 2% sustainable jet fuel by 2025. The voluntary and mandatory use of sustainable jet fuel supports the creation of a growing market for sustainable jet fuel, and is a key tool on the path to climate-neutral aviation.” Zita Baranova, Head of Sustainability at airBaltic, says:The most popular routes using SAF were Riga-Helsinki, Copenhagen, Berlin and Tallinn.
Passengers booking flights on airBaltic’s homepage can choose to add a certain amount of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to their flights. airBaltic has categorized all routes into four distance ranges (<1000 كم، 1001-2500 كم، 2001-4000 كم، و>4001 km) and calculated the average fuel consumption for each class based on previous year’s data. Passengers have the option to replace approximately 2%, 10%, 50% or 100% of the fuel attributed to a single passenger with sustainable aviation fuel within the selected distance class. The price of sustainable aviation fuel varies depending on the ticket type, starting at €0.96 per person per flight. Business travelers interested in this initiative can contact their sales manager for more details.
Starting in 2025, the EU will mandate an average annual consumption of sustainable aviation fuel of 2%, gradually increasing to 70% by 2050. airBaltic plans to leverage the mandatory and voluntary demand for sustainable aviation fuel to accelerate its supply and adoption.
CepsaCepsa, Spain’s leading manufacturer and supplier of aviation fuel, produces sustainable aviation fuel from organic waste, including used cooking oil and agricultural waste, at its La Rabida energy park in Huelva, southern Spain. This second-generation biofuel can reduce aircraft emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional kerosene and supports the circular economy by reusing waste that would otherwise be disposed of. Cepsa currently supplies sustainable aviation fuel to five major airports in Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Seville and Palma de Mallorca. By 2030, Cepsa aims to lead the production of sustainable aviation fuel in Spain and Portugal, with an annual production capacity of 800,000 tonnes, enough to circumnavigate the globe 2,000 times.
