Air New Zealand has launched a global open invitation to innovators and start-ups in the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sector, including those in Malaysia, to become a supply partner to the airline.
This is part of the airlines commitment to decarbonising its operations which it said also aligns with Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap which targets a 47% SAF blending mandate by 2050.
It is the first time an airline has made a global call to potential suppliers in the burgeoning SAF industry to work together on supply opportunities.
The airline’s Opportunity Statement, released today, provides an overview of Air New Zealand’s SAF requirements based on its network, fleet, sustainability targets and criteria. It is intended to kickstart discussion for ongoing collaboration as well as identify new opportunities.
Air New Zealand Chief Sustainability Officer, Kiri Hannifin, says SAF is integral to the aviation industry’s future in Malaysia and globally, which faces a high pressure to decarbonise.
“That’s why we’ve taken this novel approach, asking emerging SAF producers in Malaysia and around the world to connect with us and respond to the Opportunity Statement. With several varieties of feedstock and biomass available, we believe that Malaysia has the potential to become a leading feedstock supplier for SAF in the Asia Pacific region,” says Ms Hannifin.
Air New Zealand was just the second airline globally and the first in Asia Pacific to announce an interim science-based target. The interim target, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), requires a 28.9% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030, from a 2019 baseline. It anticipates it will need SAF to make up around 20% of its total fuel uplift by 2030 to meet its science-based target, alongside long-term policy support for SAF including in New Zealand, which it is actively advocating for.
While Air New Zealand does not fly scheduled services to Malaysia, the airline sees an export potential to other ports on its network in the region.
