Carbon-neutral airfreight route from LA to Amsterdam begins

To support the industry’s carbon reduction targets, Kuehne+Nagel has joined the Air France KLM Martinair Cargo SAF program, launching the first carbon-neutral airfreight lane between North America and Europe as of New Year’s Day. This forward-looking initiative marks another step towards the commercial deployment of alternative fuel and companies’ commitment to a sustainable future for aviation.

To proactively address its carbon footprint, the year-round transportation of all Kuehne+Nagel cargo on board daily Air France KLM flights from Los Angeles to Amsterdam will be fully covered by SAF. This first carbon-neutral lane underlines the strong sustainability programs of both partners, Kuehne+Nagel’s Net Zero Carbon program and AFKLMP Cargo’s SAF program, which aim to connect people and goods through sustainable logistics.

“The first zero emission route marks the beginning of our journey into CO2-neutral air freight and is another step towards achieving complete carbon neutrality by 2030,” said Yngve Ruud, a member of the Kuehne+Nagel management board responsible for air logistics. “At Kuehne+Nagel, we are ready to take leadership and responsibility for the next generation of air transport and encourage our customers and industry colleagues to join us in making sustainable choices available.”

Adriaan den Heijer, executive vice president for Air France-KLM Cargo and managing director of Martinair, said, “The launch of an air cargo SAF program is an important step in our ambitious sustainability roadmap for the coming years. We are extremely pleased with the willingness and concrete commitment of our partner Kuehne+Nagel to actually shape our common ambition for a more sustainable future. I look forward to other partners joining our SAF program soon.”

With the chemical and physical characteristics almost identical to those of conventional jet fuel, SAF is the most effective measure the industry has to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. To ensure the lane is fully carbon neutral, all CO2 emissions generated during the production, processing and transportation of SAF will be offset by Kuehne+Nagel supporting carbon reduction projects that carry the highest quality certification currently available: “Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)” and/or “Gold Standard (GS).”

With more than 78,000 employees at 1,400 locations in 100-plus countries, the Kuehne+Nagel Group is one of the world's leading logistics companies. Air France KLM Martinair Cargo is the Air France-KLM Group’s dedicated air cargo business.