Cathay Pacific completes its 1st overseas refuel of SAF on commercial flights

Cathay Pacific continues to make progress towards achieving its goal of using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for 10 percent of its total fuel use by 2030 by uplifting SAF onto its commercial flights for the very first time outside its Hong Kong hub.

Blended and supplied by ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., this batch of SAF was refueled at Singapore Changi Airport onto four Cathay Pacific cargo flights—CX2076 to Hong Kong on June 7, June 14 and June 28, and CX2074 to Penang June 30.

This follows the use of blended SAF uplifted at Hong Kong International Airport onto selected flights last year, and on the delivery flights for its new Airbus A350 from Europe over the past six years.

“This is an important milestone for Cathay Pacific and our ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” said Ronald Lam, CEO of Cathay Group. “As an international airline, we have a leading role to play in helping the aviation industry to decarbonize and we are constantly exploring solutions and advocating for extensive collaboration with many stakeholders to combat climate change. We firmly believe that SAF will be the primary lever by which the aviation industry achieves net-zero carbon emissions. By expanding the uplift of blended SAF onto selected commercial flights at Changi Airport as well as our home hub, we hope to strengthen SAF awareness across the Asia-Pacific region and send a strong signal to the supply chain that there is firm demand for SAF from airlines.”

This neat SAF was created from 100 percent used cooking oil and meets International Sustainability and Carbon Certification EU standards.

On a lifecycle basis, it can reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by nearly 90 percent compared to conventional jet fuel, providing a lower GHG emissions air travel and air cargo solution.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Cathay Pacific for the successful deliveries of certified SAF in Singapore,” said Ong Shwu Hoon with ExxonMobil Asia Pacific. “ExxonMobil remains focused on growing our lower GHG-emission fuels business to support the decarbonization goals of the aviation industry, leveraging our operational and logistical capabilities.”

Cathay Pacific said it is committed to increasing the use of SAF on its flights.

The airline launched the Cathay Pacific Corporate SAF Programme in 2022, the first major program of its kind in Asia, with eight corporates as launch customers.

The program provides corporate customers the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint from business travel or airfreight by contributing to the use of SAF.

Cathay Pacific plans to bring more corporate customers onboard the program this year.