Photo source: Air New Zealand, Facebook
Air New Zealand has announced a major step towards sustainability by securing its largest-ever order of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), totalling over 30 million litres. This fuel will be sourced from Los Angeles and San Francisco, with deliveries scheduled through to February 2026.
Neste manufactures the sustainable aviation fuel from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, including animal fat waste and used cooking oil, at its facility in Singapore.
This SAF is designed to deliver up to an 80% reduction in carbon emissions over its life cycle compared to traditional jet fuel derived from fossil fuels.
Air New Zealand’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Kiri Hannifin, stated that the recent purchase of sustainable aviation fuel accounts for 1.6% of the airline’s total fuel supply for FY25. This means the airline will successfully meet its SAF target for the year, which is more than four times the amount of SAF used in FY24.
Hannifin remarked, “1.6% is still a very small proportion of our total fuel use, but it’s four times more than we carried last year, so I am thrilled with the trajectory. Like all airlines, we urgently need to move away from our high reliance on fossil fuels as quickly as we can. Securing year-on-year higher volumes of SAF is critical.”
“While we are doing what we can at a global and industry level, we also need supporting SAF policy in New Zealand, which may also pave the way for domestic production. We are seeing more and more governments overseas moving to enact low-carbon aviation policies to support their economies, so we’d love to see similar support here to ensure New Zealand isn’t left behind in the move to lower emissions fuels.”
She also emphasised the need for supportive sustainable aviation fuel policies in New Zealand, stating that while the airline is taking steps at both global and industry levels, local policy is essential for encouraging domestic production. She noted that many governments around the world are implementing low-carbon aviation policies to boost their economies, and similar initiatives in New Zealand would be essential to prevent the country from falling behind in the transition to lower-emission fuels.
“As an airline, we are targeting using 10% SAF by 2030. We’ve invested in two feasibility studies to understand if New Zealand production from feedstocks like woody biomass could become a reality, and we are delighted that it can be. We’re pulling every lever available to us because sitting on our hands is not an option. The climate crisis is worsening, and we are responsible for changing the course of action to protect our natural environment for future generations,” Hannifin added.
Alexander Kueper, Neste’s Vice President for Renewable Aviation Business, also commented: “We are proud to support Air New Zealand’s efforts to increase their usage of SAF as a key lever to reduce aviation emissions. This supply of our Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Los Angeles and San Francisco airports is another great step in our cooperation, and we are looking forward to continuing working together with Air New Zealand to reach their climate goals.”
Vietnam Airlines, the flag carrier airline of Vietnam, and United Airlines, a major airline in the U.S., are also actively utilising SAF as part of their commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability in the aviation sector.