Korean Air has launched a new initiative for reducing the carbon footprint of its air cargo operations by using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
The Korean Air Cargo SAF program will allow customers to make voluntary contributions that will go towards the purchase of SAF to power Korean Air’s cargo aircraft. The airline said it will provide customers with reports on the amount of carbon emissions reduced by their use of SAF.
The move is part of Korean Air’s broader sustainability goals, in line with IATA’s push to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Earlier this year, the airline joined the Korean government’s “eco-friendly biofuel activation alliance” to help introduce and promote new biofuels in the country.
“We’re excited to work hand-in-hand with our clients to reduce the carbon impact of cargo operations through this new SAF program,” said Jaedong Eum, Senior Vice President and head of Korean Air’s cargo division. “As a leading airline, we are committed to sustainable development for the benefit of future generations.”
Korean Air said it is actively looking for other ways to scale up its SAF use.
The air cargo segment has traditionally shied away from previous sustainability initiatives, being out of sight of the general public, and many within the industry would argue also out of sight of the rest of commercial aviation.
However, with growing focus on Scope 3 emissions (those upstream and downstream from a consumer’s use of a product or service) air cargo is increasingly having to follow suit with the rest of the sector.