Korean Air Collaborates with SK Energy to Introduce 'Carbon-Neutral Aviation Fuel'

Purchase One Month Supply Departing from Jeju and Cheongju

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Korean Air announced on the 6th that it will collaborate with SK Energy to introduce carbon-neutral aviation fuel as part of its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management efforts.

Korean Air will first purchase a one-month supply of carbon-neutral aviation fuel for domestic flights departing from Jeju and Cheongju.

Carbon-neutral aviation fuel is fuel for which the amount of greenhouse gases generated throughout the entire production process?from crude oil extraction, refining, and transportation to usage?has been calculated and offset by an equivalent amount of carbon credits, effectively making the net carbon emissions '0'.

Currently, greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft operations account for about 2-3% of global emissions. In line with the continuous growth of the global aviation industry, airlines are actively considering climate change response strategies such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Accordingly, Korean Air is preparing carbon reduction measures to achieve carbon-neutral growth and respond to climate change risks.

Korean Air is actively participating in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and continuously replacing its fleet with eco-friendly, high-efficiency aircraft. Recently, it equipped the Airbus A220-300 aircraft with the latest engines, reducing carbon emissions per seat by approximately 25% compared to aircraft of the same class.

Earlier, in 2017, Korean Air became the first domestic airline to operate the Chicago-Incheon route using aviation fuel blended with biofuel extracted from plants such as corn, paving the way for the introduction of bio aviation fuel. In June of this year, it also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hyundai Oilbank to cooperate on the manufacturing and usage infrastructure for bio aviation fuel.

Additionally, since 2019, Korean Air has consistently practiced environmental protection by replacing all plastic straws and coffee sticks used onboard with paper products and conducting tree-planting activities annually in the deserts of Mongolia and China.

Last year, Korean Air established an ESG committee within its board of directors and has been making efforts to reorganize company strategies centered on ESG. In July, it became the first domestic airline to issue ESG bonds to finance the additional introduction of the eco-friendly Boeing 787-10 aircraft.

A Korean Air official stated, "We will continue to actively practice ESG management and persist in our efforts to reduce carbon emissions and respond to the climate crisis."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.