Brussels Airlines, Sunweb Group agree to purchase sustainable aviation fuel

Photo: Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines announced April 3 that it and Sunweb Group have reached an agreement for the purchase of approximately 250 metric tons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Building on their long-term partnership, the airline and the online tour operator define environmental responsibility as a top priority in their cooperation towards more sustainable travel.

“Brussels Airlines and Sunweb Group are aware of their environmental impact,” the airline stated, adding that the two partners are committed to finding a balance between discovering our planet, protecting it and offering more sustainable leisure travel.

“Next to accelerated fleet renewal, sustainable aviation fuel is the most effective lever currently available to reduce emissions from air travel,” said Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Brussels Airlines. “We are very happy to have signed this SAF purchase with Sunweb Group—which is one of the largest bulk deals for us and Lufthansa Group—and look forward to building more sustainable partnerships in the future.”​

The volume of the purchased Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel can cover up to 80,000 kilometers flown with an Airbus A320ceo or almost 100,000 kilometers with an Airbus A320neo.

When used in neat form (not blended), SAF can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions up to 80 percent over the lifecycle of the fuel compared to using fossil aviation fuel.

The agreement on the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel between Brussels Airlines and Sunweb Group shows the commitment of both parties to making leisure travel less carbon intensive, stated Brussels Airlines.

Acquiring this fuel from Lufthansa Group provides the tour operator with the highest quality standards of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel, it added.

“We are proud to start cooperating with Brussels Airlines on SAF,” said Lars Löfgren, CEO of Sunweb Group. “Although this purchase currently only represents a small percentage (1.4 percent) of the fuel we would use on a yearly basis, it is an important step towards making flying more sustainable. In 2023, SAF only met about 0.2 percent of the airlines sector’s global fuel needs. In order to reduce airplane emissions, we need to raise SAF’s share. Through investing in SAF together with Brussels Airlines, we aim to show that sustainability is a responsibility for us all.”