Cathay said DB Schenker has become the biggest contributor to its Corporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Programme after becoming the latest firm to join the scheme.

The Corporate SAF Programme was established in 2022 to help tackle climate change.

It enables members to purchase SAF for uplift on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Cargo flights from Hong Kong and other ports on the network.

"By joining and committing to buy 878 tonnes of SAF (the equivalent of 290,000 US gallons), DB Schenker has further demonstrated its commitment to reducing the climate impact of its air cargo activities, which dates back to 2020 when it started to use SAF for a proportion of its transport volumes," Cathay said in the announcement.

SAF is a crucial tool for the aviation industry to reduce emissions as it works towards its target of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Cathay Pacific has committed to sourcing 10% of its fuel needs from SAF by 2030 and runs along Cathay Cargo's Fly Greener programme, which offers high-quality carbon offsetting through Gold Standard-certified community and environmental projects.

The Cathay Group also recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore Airlines to collaborate on a variety of initiatives to promote the development and take-up of SAF in the Asia Pacific region and to highlight SAF's central role in the decarbonisation of aviation.

Ahead of that, Cathay Cargo has secured orders for new next-generation Airbus A350F freighters, which offer greater fuel economy.

"We are delighted to welcome DB Schenker as the newest member of the Cathay Corporate SAF Programme – and the biggest contributor to date. It is great to have this level of support from such an important player in the air cargo industry to work with us in decarbonising aviation," said Tom Owen, Cathay Director Cargo.

"By replacing conventional jet fuel with sustainable aviation fuel, DB Schenker’s commitment is the equivalent of saving more than 2,600 tonnes in CO2 emissions. This powerfully conveys the message that there is real and growing demand for SAF, and this partnership is a testament to the collaborative ethos of Greener Together as we move one step closer to the goal of a more sustainable air cargo industry," he added.

Thorsten Meincke, global board member for Air and Ocean Freight at DB Schenker, said by partnering with Cathay Pacific on SAF, the company is reinforcing its sustainability commitment and leadership in the skies.

"The collaboration underlines our environmental stewardship in air cargo and supports the global push for SAF by increasing demand for it across more regions across the globe, which will ultimately contribute to a more sustainable future," he added.

Working with different fuel supplier partners, Cathay has been able to uplift SAF at its Hong Kong hub and other ports across its network.

The SAF used for the arrangement with DB Schenker is derived from waste cooking oil and animal fats.

As part of the programme, the airline issues members with documentation to prove their Scope 3 emissions reductions from their flights using SAF.

Cathay noted that dependent on the fuel's feedstock and production process, SAF can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% on a life-cycle basis compared to conventional jet fuel.