Air France-KLM aims to renew 64 percent of its total fleet by 2028 to reduce carbon emissions. To achieve this goal, the company recently placed an order for 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft. In addition, the company aims to have ten percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in its tanks by 2030, and is therefore now choosing to invest an additional 4.7 million USD in sustainable aviation fuel through DG Fuels.
– The industry is currently on a comprehensive journey of change with new technology and fuels that enable the sustainable transition. Within a few years, we will see electric flights on shorter routes. This is something that will not be possible for long-haul flights, where you instead need to reduce emissions by investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft. That is exactly what we are doing now, says Maria Hagelberg, responsible for sustainability issues for KLM in Northern Europe.
The new A350 planes will replace the current long-haul fleet and are an important step towards achieving the company's sustainability goal of reducing carbon emissions by 30 percent per passenger kilometer by 2030, compared to 2019. The new planes use 25 percent less fuel because they are built with lighter materials, including 53 percent composite and 14 percent titanium.
In addition to investing in fuel-efficient aircraft, increased use of sustainable aviation fuel is crucial to reducing emissions. In 2022, Air France and KLM were the world's largest users of SAF. At that time, the company used 17 percent of sustainable aviation fuel globally, in relation to their consumption of only three percent of the world's total aviation fuel. To continue leading the development in the right direction and increase production of SAF, the company is now investing 4.7 million USD in SAF producer DG Fuels. This is the first time that Air France and KLM have made a financial investment in a producer of SAF.
– In order to achieve our climate goals and lead the development towards a sustainable aviation industry, investments in new technology and sustainable fuels are essential. We are thinking long-term and have acquired an option to purchase up to 75,000 tons of SAF per year starting in 2029, says Maria Hagelberg, responsible for sustainability issues for KLM in Northern Europe.
According to the press release.
