Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot, the two airlines within the SIA Group portfolio of carriers, have announced their target of replacing 5 per cent of their total fuel requirements with sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) by 2030.
Sustainable fuels are a key decarbonisation lever for the airline industry, given their potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent on a life-cycle basis compared to conventional jet fuel. This makes them critical to SIA group’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Discussions with fuel suppliers on opportunities to purchase sustainable aviation fuels are ongoing, SIA says.
Over the last few years, the group has been working closely with partners, both in Singapore and around the world, to better understand the operational and commercial considerations that would support the greater supply and adoption of SAF.
As a member of Singapore’s International Advisory Panel (IAP) to develop the sustainable air hub blueprint, SIA has been playing an active part in the development of a decarbonisation roadmap for the country’s aviation sector.
SIA Group supports the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and other stakeholders in their efforts to agree on the core principles of various SAF accounting methods. This will increase trust amongst stakeholders that the emission reductions from using SAF can be reliably tracked, traced, and accounted for.
In 2017, in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), SIA operated 12 green package flights from San Francisco to Singapore that incorporated the use of SAF, fuel-efficient aircraft, and optimised flight operations.
In 2020, SIA entered a year-long partnership with Stockholm’s Swedavia Airport to deploy a blend of jet fuel and SAF through the airport’s fuel hydrant system on SIA flights between Stockholm and Moscow. This partnership improved the group’s understanding of the logistics and procurement of renewable fuels.
In September 2023, SIA, CAAS, and GenZero, concluded a 20-month SAF pilot. Under this, 1,000 tonnes of neat SAF were imported, blended in Singapore, and uplifted via Changi airport’s fuel hydrant system on SIA and Scoot flights.
The pilot reaffirmed Singapore’s operational readiness for sustainable fuels, and affirmed that transactions in SAF credits can be conducted in a trusted and transparent manner.
“This is an important milestone in the SIA Group’s sustainability journey. The greater use of sustainable fuels will be a key lever in our decarbonisation strategy, which includes our continued investment in new generation aircraft and greater operational efficiencies. Together, this will put us on the path towards our net zero target,” said Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer, Singapore Airlines.
“However, we cannot do this alone. Deeper collaboration with partners and stakeholders, both in Singapore and around the world, is needed for all of us to meet our collective sustainability targets. We will continue to find opportunities to work together to support the greater production and use of sustainable fuels in the airline industry, as well as other decarbonisation initiatives.”
