KLM has announced that it will start adding 0.5 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for flights departing from Amsterdam. The flag carrier airline of the Netherlands will also offer customers the option of purchasing an extra amount of sustainable fuel from January 13, in a bid to stimulate the market for SAF. The face of travel is set to change in the future and SAF will play an essential role in this regard. In addition to fleet renewal and further innovation within the company and sector, KLM is committed to bringing about an energy transition.
The CO2 emissions of SAF that KLM currently purchases are at least 75 percent lower than those of fossil kerosene. Hence, in the short term, SAF is not only the most important means of drastically reducing CO2 emissions, but also a significant factor that promotes sustainable aviation. The costs for the sustainable fuel variant are at least four times higher and production is lagging behind. By increasing demand, KLM hopes to further develop the market for SAF so that supply is scaled up and sustainable fuel ultimately becomes cheaper.
France has introduced a compulsory SAF admixture percentage effective January 1, 2022. This is not yet compulsory in the Netherlands. Within Europe, there is a proposal to achieve a compulsory SAF proportion of 2 percent by 2025 for all flights within and from Europe. KLM and its partners in the Clean Skies for Tomorrow Coalition previously announced that they aim to achieve a worldwide SAF proportion of 10 percent in 2030. To this end, KLM has now decided to start adding more SAF voluntarily.
In addition, Air France-KLM Group, Air France, and KLM have committed themselves to the CO2 reduction trajectory drawn up for the aviation sector by the Science Based Targets initiative. This will ensure that KLM’s objectives are aligned with the targets of the UN Climate Agreement signed in Paris (net zero in 2050). Increased utilization of SAF is a key factor in achieving these targets.
The 0.5 percent SAF proportion will supplement the SAF that is already being blended for customers who have joined KLM’s Corporate and Cargo SAF programs. A surcharge for the additional SAF will be added to the ticket price. This means KLM passengers will automatically contribute to the purchase of sustainable fuel. The surcharge will vary from €1 to €12 (approximately $1.14 to $13.73) per ticket, depending on the distance flown and the seat booked (economy or business). KLM will use this contribution to finance a standard 0.5 percent SAF admixture on all flights from Amsterdam.
For individual passengers who wish to further reduce the footprint of their flight, KLM has expanded its CO2ZERO service with an option to purchase an additional quantity of SAF. This option will be available in addition to the airline’s existing compensation alternative to support a reforestation project with Gold Standard certification. Reforestation is a way in which CO2 emissions can be compensated outside the aviation industry. With the additional purchase of SAF, a passenger contributes to less use of fossil kerosene, and thus to a direct reduction of CO2 emissions as a result of flying. Again, KLM will use the entire amount raised to purchase SAF to boost global SAF production.
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