China Airlines flight from Taipei to Amsterdam supported by SAF environmental attributes
China Airlines, a Taiwan-based carrier, announced Sept. 14 that it is blazing a new trail in sustainable development by participating in SkyTeam’s The Aviation Challenge for the fifth time this year.
Long-haul route Flight CI073 (Taipei-Amsterdam) was chosen as the demonstration flight for the first time Sept. 13.
The demonstration flight was supported by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) environmental attributes equivalent to 40 percent of its fuel consumption, representing China Airlines’ largest SAF application on a long-haul route.
Along with low-carbon plant-based food and air and ground-side carbon reduction, China Airlines said these measures demonstrate its commitment to promoting sustainable aviation.
China Airlines said it is using innovative practices to reduce carbon emissions from air travel.
This year’s TAC theme, “Collective Momentum,” highlights the importance of working with business partners and supply chains to advance sustainability and the transition to net zero.
For the first time, China Airlines expanded its demonstration flight to a long-haul route and renewed its partnership with CTBC Bank, its cobranded credit-card partner.
After jointly using 20 percent SAF on regional routes in 2024, the two companies have taken the partnership a step further with this demonstration flight.
Through the book-and-claim approach, SAF environmental attributes equivalent to 40 percent of the flight’s fuel consumption were allocated to the demonstration flight, representing 36.3 metric tons of SAF and China Airlines’ largest SAF application to date under TAC.
Since 2022, China Airlines has operated eight demonstration flights, achieving cumulative carbon reductions of at least 600 tons and underscoring its commitment to low-carbon transportation.
China Airlines said it has long supported the use of SAF.
Recent initiatives included the use of SAF during ferry flights by new aircraft as well as passenger-carrying and freight-only flights.
“These, along with collaborations with enterprise customers, have made China Airlines the leader of the domestic airline industry,” China Airlines stated.
China Airlines President Kevin Chen said SAF is the key to the net-zero transformation for the aviation industry and the airline has been working actively to expand the scope of application for SAF.
Key markets such as Europe, the Americas and Asia have all been the focus of SAF promotion efforts since 2025.
The low-carbon philosophy is also embedded in flight operations and traveler services.
By investing in carbon-reduction actions in collaboration with corporate partners, the supply chain and travelers, China Airlines said it is turning every flight into a driver of industry transformation and accelerating the realization of net zero by 2050.
Anderson Chen, head of the payment business at CTBC Bank, said the bank strongly backs sustainable finance and the low-carbon transformation of the airline industry.
As the exclusive sponsor of this year’s China Airlines SAF demonstration flight, CTBC Bank is once again giving its direct support to carbon reduction in the airline industry.
He said he hoped the latest collaboration will help build industry consensus on sustainability, direct sustainable finance to green industries that make a material contribution to carbon reduction, and see the bank become the most steadfast supporter of net zero in Taiwan.
