Qatar Airways signs deal with Shell...

The carrier is the first in the Middle East to go beyond government SAF mandates

Qatar Airways has signed a deal with Shell to source 3,000 metric tonnes of neat Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

This latest agreement encompasses the existing jet fuel contract with Shell at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, which will now see Qatar Airways using a minimum of 5% SAF blend over the contract period for the fiscal year 2023-2024.

SAF offers significant potential for decarbonisation as neat SAF can reduce full lifecycle emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel. This means that Qatar Airways will be reducing its emissions on flights from Amsterdam by approximately 7,500 tonnes of CO2 for the fiscal year.

Speaking about the announcement, Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: “At Qatar Airways, we are strongly committed to supporting the industry’s effort to ramp-up the use of sustainable aviation fuel, as one of the key pillars to decarbonise the aviation industry.

"Last year, we signed our first offtake agreement in the US, and now we are placing a multi-million US dollar SAF deal in Amsterdam to illustrate our SAF commitment and reiterate our calls for a more robust SAF supply chain across our global network.”

Al Baker added: "We remain steadfast in our ambitious target of 10% SAF use by 2030 and this announcement establishes another landmark for Qatar Airways that underlines the positive outcome of the industry’s collaboration, which is critical to accelerating the SAF supply and achieving our target."

Shell Aviation president Jan Toschka also commented on the progress being made. He said: “Qatar Airways and Shell have a history of collaboration, so it is fantastic to now work together on decarbonisation as we supply them with SAF for the first time.

"SAF is a key lever for decarbonising aviation, but scaling its supply and use requires concerted action from across the aviation sector. Today’s agreement is a great example of the collaborative actions that are required to help accelerate aviation’s progress towards net zero.”

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Qatar Airways currently invests in carbon credit projects that generate renewable energy, which helps in reducing carbon emissions. Qatar Airways is also working on introducing a solution that will allow passengers to offset their emissions by contributing to the cost of SAF.

Currently, passengers are able to compensate for their flight emissions through the purchase of high-quality carbon credits, in line with criteria set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the UN's aviation body.

For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com