Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific to collaborate on green initiatives – Business Traveller
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a broad range of sustainability initiatives.
These collective efforts are aimed at advocating for the development and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the Asia-Pacific region, a critical decarbonisation lever for the sector, and sharing best practices to boost sustainability performance.
The agreement underscores both carriers’ commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and affirms their aspiration to help drive sustainability changes in the airline industry.
Firstly, SIA and Cathay will jointly advocate for the greater use of SAF in the Asia-Pacific region.
Initiatives in this area will include raising public awareness about SAF’s critical role in decarbonising aviation, advocating for supportive policies in the region, and promoting the creation of a standard global accounting and reporting framework to ensure the transparency and verifiability of emission reductions from the use of the fuel.
The airlines will also explore potential opportunities for joint procurement of SAF at selected locations. These are aimed at boosting SAF production and supporting its wider adoption in the airline industry.
The second area of focus will be the exchange of best practices to reduce single-use plastics, minimise waste, and improve energy efficiency in ground and cargo operations. This will allow SIA and Cathay to improve their sustainability performance and speed up the development and implementation of sustainable solutions in their operations.
Hong Kong’s Cathay was one of the first airlines in Asia to set a target of 10 per cent SAF for its total fuel consumption by 2030, while last month SIA and Neste signed an agreement for the purchase of 1,000 tons of SAF produced locally at Neste’s refinery at Singapore’s Changi Airport.
“Singapore Airlines is committed to embedding sustainability in all aspects of our operations. At the same time, we recognise that we cannot achieve our targets alone.
Our partnership with Cathay signifies our mutual ambition to enhance collaboration in sustainability initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. Together we are helping to set the foundation for a more sustainable aviation industry, and ensure that future generations continue to reap the benefits of air travel,” said Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer, Singapore Airlines.
