Korean Air, Yusen Logistics sign partnership to promote sustainable aviation fuels

Industry

Published: 10 Jan. 2024, 15:38

Korean Air, Yusen Logistics sign partnership to promote sustainable aviation fuels

Korean Air's Senior Vice President Eum Jae-dong, right, and Eisuke Fukagawa, head of Yusen Logistics' Airfreight forwarding group, pose for a photo after signing a partnership on promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels in Tokyo. [KOREAN AIR]

Korean Air signed a partnership with Tokyo-based logistics company Yusen Logistics to reduce emissions used in aviation fuels, the airline said on Wednesday.

The two companies will work together to promote sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in Asian cargo operations in line with the aviation industry’s effort to achieve climate change goals.

SAF refers to biofuel with a smaller carbon footprint, made from nonconventional fossil resources like animal and plant-based oils, algae and urban waste gases. Using biofuel can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional aviation fuel, although it is two to five times as expensive.

“We are delighted to welcome Yusen Logistics as our cargo SAF program partner to promote and implement SAF usage jointly,” said Korean Air’s Senior Vice President Eum Jae-dong. “We remain committed to the industry’s climate change goals and the sustainable development of the air cargo industry.”

Korean Air launched a program to use SAF for air cargo operations in September 2023, the first time a Korean carrier initiated the program. Customers and carriers can purchase biofuel for air cargo operations, and Korean Air, in turn, shares with clients how much the carbon emission rate has been reduced.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]