Kuehne+Nagel, Swiss International Air Lines strengthen partnership to accelerate sustainable aviation

Kuehne+Nagel, one of the world’s leading logistics providers, announced Dec. 16 that it and Swiss International Air Lines are strengthening their strategic partnership to drive more sustainable aviation.

With the signing of a memorandum of understanding, both companies will collaborate on sustainability projects, with a particular focus on innovative technologies to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

The partnership centers on a shared commitment to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced by Synhelion, a Swiss cleantech company that converts sunlight into renewable synthetic fuels like solar jet fuel.

To support scaling this technology, Kuehne+Nagel, Swiss and its air-freight division Swiss WorldCargo have agreed on a long-term offtake agreement of SAF that provides Synhelion with planning security and drives innovation in the sector.

This commitment provides producers such as Synhelion with the certainty needed to expand their output and advance new technologies.

Starting in 2027, Kuehne+Nagel will purchase Synhelion SAF from Swiss under a five-year agreement for its cargo shipments by Swiss WorldCargo.

This reinforces its commitment to decarbonizing logistics and offers customers the opportunity to reduce their CO2 footprint.

“To meet the aviation industry’s climate targets, we must scale the production of synthetic SAF,” said Yngve Ruud, a member of Kuehne+Nagel’s management board responsible for Air Logistics. “At Kuehne+Nagel, we are taking the lead by partnering with Swiss and Synhelion to accelerate these technologies, making them economically viable. With it, we can offer our customers the opportunity to reduce their environmental footprint with this innovative technology.”

Swiss CEO Jens Fehlinger added, “Sustainable aviation fuels are a key building block for making air travel more sustainable. They remain scarce and costly—which is exactly why we need strong partners. We are pleased to be working with Kuehne+Nagel to implement the first commercial offtake of Synhelion’s fuel. This marks an important step forward and sends a clear signal that we intend to actively shape this path.”