UAE national carrier, Etihad Airways, has published its annual sustainability report. In 2022, the airline achieved a 26 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per Revenue Tonne Kilometer to 482g, compared to a 2019 baseline.

The airline noted that it achieved emission reductions through a combination of “in-sector measures, aligning with industry voluntary roadmaps and frameworks, collaborating with UAE industrial ecosystems, remaining proactive about sustainability issues, and continually developing a strategic roadmap for targets.”

It has also signed the Neste Airline Collaboration Agreement to facilitate cooperation between corporate organizations looking to offset their Scope 3 emissions using SAF credits.

It added that it was the first foreign airline to receive SAF supply in Japan, in partnership with ITOCHU Corporation and Neste MY Sustainable Fuel. The flight, operated in Q4 of 2022, was the first delivery of around 50,000USG of Neste produced fuel, reducing approximately 75 tCO2 at a 39.66 per cent blend.

At the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week conference earlier this year, Masdar, ADNOC, bp, Tadweer and Etihad Airways reached an agreement to conduct a joint feasibility study on exploring the production in the UAE of SAF and other products, such as renewable diesel and naphtha, using municipal solid waste and renewable hydrogen. If the feasibility study’s conclusions are positive, the partners will target working toward developing the region’s first commercial-scale production capacity in Abu Dhabi.

Etihad also partnered with World Energy to operate the first net-zero flight powered entirely by SAF offsetting CO2 emissions of 216 metric tonnes through sustainable aviation fuel credits.

Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Our sustainability strategy is built on a foundation of collaboration, transparency, and innovation, and we will continue to work with our partners, industry peers, and government agencies to drive positive change and lead the way towards a greener future for aviation.”

etihad.com