Flying the Sky with Bio Aviation Fuel... Korean Air and GS Caltex Join Hands for Demonstration Flight Research

Korean Air is starting a demonstration flight research project on bio-aviation fuel in collaboration with GS Caltex. Based on the results of this first-ever domestic demonstration flight, the government will establish related standards such as bio-aviation fuel quality and accelerate commercialization.

On the 29th, Korean Air signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GS Caltex for the demonstration flight research of bio-aviation fuel at the GS Tower in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Attendees at the signing ceremony included Cho Sung-bae, Executive Vice President of Materials and Facilities at Korean Air, and Kim Chang-soo, Vice President of GS Caltex, among other officials.

This agreement is part of the "Alternative Fuel Activation Roadmap to Expand the Supply of Eco-friendly Biofuels" announced by the government in October last year. Related organizations such as the Petroleum Management Service and Incheon International Airport Corporation are also participating.

Korean Air plans to procure bio-aviation fuel for international flights departing from Incheon through GS Caltex. This product has been confirmed to meet international quality standards such as those of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The demonstration flight research will be conducted over six months starting in the second half of this year. Based on these results, the government intends to establish standards for the introduction of bio-aviation fuel to be used domestically.

Bio-aviation fuel, also known as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), is expected to play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated by aircraft operations. It is produced from eco-friendly raw materials such as animal and vegetable oils, seaweed, and urban waste gas, rather than traditional fossil resources like petroleum or coal. Compared to conventional aviation fuel, it can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80%.

Major countries are already increasing their use of bio-aviation fuel. The European Union has mandated that from 2025, all aircraft refueled at domestic airports must contain at least 2% bio-aviation fuel. Several countries, including the United States, have introduced various policy support measures such as tax credits to expand the supply of bio-aviation fuel. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has set a "Net Zero" goal to drastically reduce aircraft greenhouse gas emissions and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Korean Air was the first domestic airline to use bio-aviation fuel, operating a flight between Chicago and Incheon in November 2017. Last year, it introduced bio-aviation fuel on regular flights between Paris and Incheon and has been continuously working to expand the market. It also signed an MOU with the global energy company Shell to preferentially receive bio-aviation fuel at airports in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions for five years starting in 2026. Going forward, Korean Air plans to increase the proportion of bio-aviation fuel used in both domestic and international flights.

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