Qatar Airways and Gevo, Inc., a producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), have inked an offtake deal whereby Qatar Airways would purchase 25 million US gallons of SAF in its purest form over the course of five years, with deliveries set to begin at several California airports in 2028.
Qatar Airways will import 5 million US gallons of pure SAF annually and blend it with its existing conventional jet fuel supply. The airline was the first in the Middle East and Africa region to commit to a global SAF offtake agreement.
This collaboration is part of the airline’s and other oneworld® Alliance members’ earlier commitment to buy up to 200 million US gallons of SAF from Gevo. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is one of the cornerstones of Qatar Airways and oneworld’s aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050. oneworld became the first global airline alliance to unify behind a shared goal of carbon neutrality with net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in September 2020. Subsequently, the coalition agreed to a goal of 10% sustainable aviation fuel utilization across the alliance by 2030. Qatar Airways is eager to increase the commercial usage of SAF, stressing that the SAF to be purchased will be approved under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s sustainability guidelines (ICAO). In comparison to fossil-based jet fuel, SAF reduces carbon dioxide emissions throughout its lifecycle. Today’s technology enables SAF to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 85% compared to conventional jet fuel.
His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways Group, stated, “Qatar Airways continues to prioritise our commitment to net-zero flying by the middle of this century. Decarbonising aviation requires a gradual incorporation of lower carbon and sustainable aviation fuels, and we are proud to collaborate on this global effort for a better future. Joining forces with fellow oneworld members, we are supporting Gevo to establish its SAF-producing facilities in order to ramp up SAF supply and get closer to our goal of replacing 10% of our conventional jet fuel with SAF by 2030.”
Gevo’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Patrick R. Gruber stated that by collaborating with farmers on regenerative agricultural practices, Gevo can sustainably source feedstock to produce sustainable aviation fuel, while also improving soil health, sequestering carbon, and supplying nutritional products to the food chain. He added, “By building sustainability into every step of our business system, from sustainably grown feedstock to using renewable energy for production, we are helping Qatar Airways and other members of the oneworld alliance to reach their emission reduction goals.”
Qatar Airways has made substantial environmental sustainability and decarbonization advancements. Qatar Airways operates one of the newest and most fuel-efficient aircraft fleets in the sky. It is the first airline in the Middle East to achieve the highest level of accreditation in the IATA Environmental Assessment Programme (IEnvA) and the first airline to join the IATA CO2NNECT platform, which offers a new voluntary carbon offsetting program for air cargo shipments, advancing an ambitious agenda to demonstrate environmental leadership across the global aviation industry.
