With sustainability becoming an increasingly important as a value to businesses, corporations have been more making meaningful transformation in their business practices, both to comply with legal requirements, improve business resiliency, and address customer and stakeholders’ expectations. However, transformation takes participation, investment and commitment. Focusing on the aviation industry, one of the biggest levers for enhancing sustainability is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
SAF is an alternative to fossil fuels, which can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions greatly compared to using conventional fossil-based jet fuel. While it will takes decade before hydrogen or electricity-powered aircrafts to carry passengers from Hong Kong to London, SAF is the currently available solution, compatible with existing aircraft and engines, ready to address emissions from flying now.
However, with limited global supply and high production cost, 2025 SAF production only contribute to 0.6% of global jet fuel consumption. To meaningfully scale SAF adoption, airlines like Cathay Pacific are engaging customers to contribute. The Hong Kong based carrier has focused on building practical, scalable ways for businesses to participate in SAF, addressing both accessibility and impact.
They innovate within the SAF space by providing corporate customers two solutions: The Corporate SAF Programme and the SAF Self-Service Portal. The Corporate SAF Programme is its flagship solution, allowing businesses to contribute to SAF in a bespoke manner, tailored to business needs and reporting criteria. It starts with Cathay Pacific sourcing SAF certified by internationally recognised sustainability standards, which is then mixed with conventional jet fuel and used by the airline. After this, participating corporates will receive an emissions reduction certificate and a third-party assurance letter, to help corporates reduce Scope 3 carbon emissions from business travel or cargo transportation. This serves as a win-win solution: airlines can accelerate its existing SAF usage, while giving customers a unique yet meaningful way to reduce their own emissions. The programme has proven its success, signing on partners such as EQT, EY, and Microsoft.
But how about businesses who wish to opt for a more flexible solution?
The SAF Self-Service Portal is the ideal way for businesses to purchase SAF at any time, and at any commitment level. All that companies need to do is sign up for an account, and once granted, can start purchasing SAF attributes at their own pace. Companies can also use the same account to access to SAF documentation related to purchases, track purchase records, and retrieve data for reporting.
SAF uptake acceleration has been on the radar for airlines globally, but Cathay Pacific’s unique position on corporate SAF participation allows it to stand out as one of few airlines in Asia for its holistic SAF approach. Not only does this grant customers flexibility, but also convenience, which reduces the roadblocks for companies to engage in more sustainable practices for corporate travel. With initiatives such as Cathay Pacific’s, the sky is truly the limit when engaging companies to do our part in the shared sustainability journey, while being practical and accessible.