Qatar Airways signs SAF agreement with Gevo

Qatar Airways and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producer Gevo have signed an offtake agreement, where the airline will purchase 25 million US gallons of neat SAF over the course of five years.

The airline will be uplifting five million US gallons of neat SAF every year, and will blend it with its existing supply of conventional jet fuel, the carrier said in a statement. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2028 at various airports in California.

Qatar Airways partners with Gevo to purchase 25 million US gallons of certified sustainable aviation fuel✈️♻️ pic.twitter.com/Kfjb9HFTC6

— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) October 25, 2022

This partnership is part of the airline’s earlier commitment, along with other oneworld Alliance members to purchase up to 200 million US gallons of SAF from Gevo.

In September 2020, oneworld became the first global airline alliance to unite behind a goal to achieve carbon neutrality with net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The alliance subsequently committed to a target of 10 per cent sustainable aviation fuel use across the alliance by 2030.

Qatar Airways said that it “is very keen to ramp-up the use of SAF at a commercial level, noting that the SAF to be purchased will be certified under the sustainability criteria laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).”

Current technology allows for CO2 reductions from the use of SAF to reach 85 per cent when compared to conventional jet fuel.

“Qatar Airways continues to prioritise our commitment to net-zero flying by the middle of this century. Decarbonising aviation requires a gradual incorporation of lower carbon and sustainable aviation fuels, and we are proud to collaborate on this global effort for a better future,” said Qatar Airways group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker.

“By working with farmers on regenerative agricultural practices, Gevo can sustainability source feedstock to produce sustainable aviation fuel, while also increasing soil health, sequestering carbon, and providing nutritional products to the food chain, said Dr Patrick R. Gruber, Gevo’s chief executive officer.

The group reported its highest ever net profit of $1.54bn during the fiscal year 2021/22.

Read: Qatar Airways Group reports highest net profit in 25-year history