Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways release 2nd joint report on sustainable aviation fuel
- Japan Airlines
- May 28
- 2 min read
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways released May 27 the second edition of their joint report, “Toward Net Zero CO2 Emissions from Air Transport in 2050,” outlining the current state of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Japan and the actions needed to support aviation decarbonization.
The report calls for a society-wide effort to achieve net-zero carbon-dioxide emissions in air transportation by 2050.
Key findings of the report include:
The global SAF gap: SAF is critical to reaching net-zero carbon-dioxide emissions in aviation by 2050, but accounted for a mere 0.6 percent of global aviation-fuel consumption as of 2025. The report warns that without increased SAF production and cost reductions within the next five years, the aviation industry will be unable to meet its emissions goals without significant social and economic impact.
Economic and social infrastructure: Japan’s aviation sector generates an estimated USD$106.7 billion in annual economic activity. Stable fuel supplies are critical to supporting the goal of attracting 60 million inbound visitors and maintaining air service to regional communities and remote islands that rely on aviation as essential infrastructure.
The “Japanese Model” approach: The report calls for a tailored Japanese model that balances the pace of SAF regulation with actual domestic SAF production capacity, helping to mitigate supply-demand imbalances and excessive costs while supporting long-term industry growth.
Scope 3 co-creation: Through corporate programs that contribute to reducing customers’ scope 3 emissions, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are promoting a “Co-creation Model” in which the high costs of SAF implementation are supported collectively by society as a whole.
A unified industry approach: Acting as the “two wings” of Japan’s aviation sector, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are tackling this challenge across competitive and industry boundaries to support long-term sustainability in Japan’s air transportation and drive the sustained growth of the Japanese economy.
“In the aviation industry, our vital mission is to continuously deliver the human connections and social well-being created through the movement of people,” said Mitsuko Tottori, the president and group CEO of Japan Airlines. “Although scaling SAF poses formidable challenges, we will never waver in our commitment to pioneering a sustainable future for aviation. Moving forward together with All Nippon Airways, and hand-in-hand with our customers and all stakeholders, we will face these difficulties to ensure a vibrant future of movement is securely passed to the next generation.”
Juichi Hirasawa, the president and CEO of All Nippon Airways, added, “Thanks to our stakeholders, we have established a foothold for domestic SAF implementation. However, the global landscape surrounding SAF is extremely severe, and any delay in securing fuel now represents a direct crisis for Japan’s economic security. To confront this challenge, we are once again joining hands with Japan Airlines. We strongly call for an effective, society-wide framework to maintain Japan’s aviation infrastructure and hand over sustainable skies to the next generation. We remain steadfast in our commitment to this resolve, while seeking the understanding of our valued customers.”
The report follows the first joint SAF report released in October 2021.
