Published on August 13, 2025
DHL Express and Cathay Group person entered a caller business to beforehand sustainable aviation substance (SAF) successful Asia, taking a important measurement toward reducing c emissions successful nan aerial cargo industry. Under nan agreement, DHL Express will acquisition 2,400 tonnes of SAF from Cathay, which will beryllium utilized connected flights operated by Air Hong Kong, a wholly owned subsidiary of nan Cathay Group. This collaboration is group to boost SAF accumulation and usage crossed nan aerial cargo sector, marking a cardinal milestone successful advancing greenish logistics solutions.
Expanding Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Use successful Asia
The recently established SAF business will spot nan sustainable substance utilized connected world flights departing from 3 awesome airports successful Asia—Seoul Incheon, Tokyo Narita, and Singapore Changi. These flights are operated by Air Hong Kong, which provides definitive cargo services for DHL Express successful nan region. The inaugural is portion of some companies’ shared committedness to lower-carbon aerial logistics and nan semipermanent sustainability of nan aviation sector.
The SAF woody is expected to importantly trim lifecycle greenhouse state emissions by astir 7,190 tonnes. This is balanced to nan emissions produced by complete 100 flights betwixt Hong Kong and Singapore utilizing an Airbus 330 freighter. By expanding SAF usage successful nan region, DHL and Cathay purpose to accelerate nan accumulation and uptake of this greener aviation fuel, which presently represents little than 1% of world pitchy substance consumption.
A Milestone successful Green Logistics
DHL Express has been a frontrunner successful SAF adoption, continually moving to standard its usage crossed its world network. The company’s Senior Vice President for Network Operations & Aviation successful Asia Pacific, Peter Bardens, emphasized nan request for accrued SAF usage successful Asia to thief mitigate nan biology effect of aerial transport. “We are astatine nan forefront of SAF take and are eager to spot much partners and customers subordinate america successful building a robust SAF ecosystem successful Asia,” said Bardens.
DHL’s Strategy 2030 highlights “green logistics of choice” arsenic 1 of its 4 halfway objectives, underscoring nan company’s attraction connected sustainable operations. As a result, nan institution is not only expanding its SAF usage but is besides investing successful creating a much resilient and environmentally friends logistics network.
Strengthening Partnership pinch Cathay Group
This caller statement further solidifies nan long-standing business betwixt DHL Express and nan Cathay Group. For complete 2 decades, Air Hong Kong has been a captious constituent of DHL Express’s Asia Pacific network. The collaboration connected SAF builds upon this beardown foundation, positioning nan 2 companies to proceed moving together to trim c emissions successful nan aerial freight industry.
Cathay’s Director of Cargo, Tom Owen, noted that this business represents nan first SAF uplift connected Air Hong Kong flights. “SAF is simply a halfway pillar of our strategy to reside c emissions, and collaboration is basal to scaling its use. We are excited to activity pinch like-minded partners for illustration DHL Express to make SAF much accessible and scalable, peculiarly successful Asia,” he explained.
Expanding nan SAF Ecosystem successful Asia
This collaboration is besides a portion of Cathay Group’s Corporate SAF Programme, launched successful 2022 to thief firm partners trim their greenhouse state emissions from business recreation and airfreight. The programme has enabled nan usage of complete 6,000 tonnes of SAF successful 2024 alone, pinch 16 firm partners, including awesome organizations for illustration HSBC, AIA, and Standard Chartered.
Earlier this year, Cathay besides entered into agreements pinch Sinopec and SK Energy to unafraid SAF proviso successful Hong Kong and South Korea. These partnerships further underscore Cathay’s committedness to expanding nan usage of SAF wrong its web and fostering a location SAF ecosystem.
DHL’s Global SAF Initiatives
DHL Express has been proactive successful scaling SAF usage globally, securing semipermanent agreements pinch SAF suppliers specified arsenic Neste, BP, and World Energy. Earlier this year, DHL collaborated pinch Cosmo Oil Marketing successful Japan to usage SAF produced successful nan state for flights departing from Japan. Most recently, DHL completed an statement pinch Neste for 7,400 tonnes of SAF for world flights from Singapore Changi Airport.
DHL’s continued efforts to put successful SAF align pinch its Strategy 2030, peculiarly nan “New Energy” maturation sector, which focuses connected sustainable power sources for illustration wind, solar, and hydrogen, arsenic good arsenic replacement fuels for illustration SAF. These initiatives guarantee that DHL tin meet its net-zero emissions logistics goals by 2050 while supporting nan broader take of sustainable power solutions successful nan logistics industry.
Conclusion: A Commitment to Sustainability
This business betwixt DHL Express and Cathay Group marks a important measurement successful nan conflict against ambiance alteration and showcases nan domiciled of nan logistics assemblage successful driving nan usage of sustainable aviation fuel. As some companies activity to standard SAF usage crossed Asia, they are mounting an illustration for nan aerial cargo assemblage successful reducing emissions and transitioning to greener practices.
With some companies starring nan charge, nan early of aerial logistics looks greener, and nan push for SAF take is apt to proceed to grow, peculiarly successful Asia wherever nan request for sustainable practices is connected nan rise.
Photo: DHL Express and Cathay Group