Korean Air Expands Use of Domestic SAF...Mixed Operations on Kobe and Osaka Routes

Korean Air announced on September 22 that it will expand the number of commercial flight routes using domestically produced Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). SAF, made from eco-friendly sources such as waste oil, animal and vegetable oils, and agricultural by-products, can reduce carbon emissions by up to approximately 80%.

The flights that will increase the use of domestically produced SAF are KE731, departing from Incheon to Kobe, Japan, and KE2117, departing from Gimpo to Osaka, Japan. From September 19, 2025, until December 31, 2026, for about one year and four months, 1% of the total jet fuel used on these flights (a total of 90 flights for KE731 and 26 flights for KE2117 are scheduled) will be replaced with domestically produced SAF.

For the Incheon-Kobe route, SAF produced by HD Hyundai Oilbank will be supplied, while the Gimpo-Osaka route will use SAF produced by GS Caltex. Both companies' SAF is made using used cooking oil (UCO). The fuel has also received certification under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

From August 2024 until the end of last month, Korean Air became the first to apply domestically produced SAF from Korean refiners to a commercial route departing from Korea (Incheon-Haneda), thereby demonstrating the safety and performance of Korean-made SAF. As a result, the airline has expanded the use of SAF to additional commercial routes.

A Korean Air official stated, "We plan to continue our decarbonization efforts to lead the domestic aviation industry's transition to eco-friendliness and to join the global trend toward carbon neutrality in the aviation sector."

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