LATAM Airlines operates its 1st passenger charter flights linked to SAF usage

LATAM Airlines Group announced June 23 that it has completed its first passenger charter flights with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) allocation, resulting in a reduction of approximately 160 metric tons of CO2 emissions associated with flights operated in partnership with Ponant Explorations, a French company offering exploration voyages aboard human-scale ships.

The operation consisted of 13 flights between Santiago, Chile, and Ushuaia, Argentina, to which 22,400 gallons of SAF were allocated under the book-and-claim chain-of-custody methodology.

The initiative represents LATAM’s first emissions-reduction project linked to passenger charter operations developed jointly with a customer.

LATAM said this milestone marks a tangible step forward in its sustainability strategy and demonstrates how collaboration between airlines and customers can help accelerate the transition toward lower-emission aviation.

“At LATAM, we firmly believe that advancing a more sustainable aviation industry requires the commitment and collaboration of the entire value chain,” said Thibaud Morand, the general manager of LATAM Airlines for Europe, Asia and Oceania. “This operation with Ponant Explorations demonstrates that concrete mechanisms already exist for our customers to actively contribute to reducing the emissions associated with their air-travel operations, while we continue to drive the development and adoption of sustainable aviation fuels across the region.”

Wassim Daoud, the sustainable development director at Ponant Explorations, added, “This collaboration with LATAM marks another important step in our commitment to more sustainable tourism. We are proud to contribute, alongside LATAM, to the development of solutions that can support the decarbonization of transport while offering our guests exploration experiences that are more respectful of the environment.”

The emissions reduction was calculated in accordance with the methodology established by the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, comparing the emissions factors of conventional Jet A-1 fuel with those of the SAF used.

The fuel allocated for the project was Neste MY SAF™, produced from renewable raw materials and delivering a lifecycle-emissions reduction of 74.72 percent compared with conventional jet fuel.

This project forms part of LATAM’s broader efforts to advance its sustainability strategy and achieve its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

To reach this objective, the company is focused on four key pillars: fleet modernization, operational efficiency, scaling up the use of SAF, and carbon offsetting through strategic regional projects as a complementary measure.

These efforts have received international recognition.

Earlier this year, LATAM was named by S&P Global as one of the world’s leading airlines in sustainability performance, ranking fifth globally and first among all airlines in the Americas.