GHG Emissions, Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  July 30, 2024

International Airlines Group Buys SAF

International Airlines Group (IAG) reached an agreement for the purchase and supply of more than 28,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) during the next six months. 

The SAF will be provided by Repsol, a  multi-energy company, and will be used by the IAG airlines flying from Spanish airports, including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Iberia Express and Vueling. This agreement represents the largest voluntary purchase of SAF to date in Spain. 

This purchase brings IAG closer to fulfilling its commitment to the use of 2% of SAF in 2025 as established by the ReFuel EU regulation. 

In 2024, Repsol began to produce 100% renewable fuels at its facilities in Cartagena. The plant, the first large-scale plant in Spain and Portugal dedicated exclusively to the production of 100% renewable fuels and in which Repsol has invested 250 million euros, has a production capacity of 250,000 tons annually and can produce renewable diesel and SAF from waste. 

IAG, a Spanish-registered company with its corporate office in London, was created in 2011 and includes the airlines Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, LEVELand Vueling, and IAG Loyalty and IAG Cargo. 

“Sustainability is a priority for IAG and is one of the pillars on which we base our strategy and transformation,” Luis Gallego, CEO of IAG, said in a statement. “We are working intensely to secure our future SAF needs and comply with our commitments, which are more ambitious than what is established by EU legislation. However, it is important that governments continue to support the development of a SAF industry that increases its availability and reduces its price.” 

As of the end of February, IAG has already secured a third of the SAF required to meet the objective of 10% of its fuel being SAF in 2030. In 2023, the group's airlines used more than 53,000 tons of SAF, which was an increase of 417% compared to 2022 and represented one of the highest volumes in the world. The use of this SAF reduced net emissions of more than 157,000 tons of CO2. This emissions reduction was complemented with operational efficiency initiatives that made it possible to avoid another 86,000 tons of CO2.