GHG Emissions, Industrial, Sourcing Renewables  -  September 24, 2024

Air France-KLM Ramp Up SAF

Air France-KLM signed an agreement for the supply of up to 1.5 million tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Air France-KLM Group airlines over a 10-year period until 2035.

This agreement marks one the largest SAF purchase contracts signed by Air France-KLM to date and was signed with TotalEnergies.

This contract builds on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2022 for the supply of 800,000 tons of SAF. By re-evaluating this agreement today, the two groups are reaffirming their objective to curb the environmental impact of the air transport sector as quickly as possible by reducing carbon emissions.

By 2030, Air France-KLM aims to reduce its carbon emissions per passenger/km by 30% compared with 2019 levels. The Group aims to achieve this goal through a combination of fleet renewal, operational measures such as eco-piloting and the incorporation of at least 10% of more SAF on all of its flights. 

The SAF supplied to Air France-KLM will be made from waste and residues from the circular economy and will be produced in TotalEnergies' French and European biorefineries and refineries by coprocessing. This SAF will be used to fuel flights operated by Air France-KLM’s airlines on departure from France, the Netherlands and other European countries.

Air France-KLM has implemented a strict sourcing policy, purchasing only second-generation SAF that does not compete with global food production and that is RSB or ISCC+ certified for its sustainability.

“Securing the volumes of more sustainable aviation fuel needed to decarbonize our activity is a major challenge. This agreement with TotalEnergies is a further step in this direction, and a testament to our long-standing support for the development of SAF production in France and Europe. A solid SAF sector capable of meeting our industry’s needs is a key factor in Europe’ sovereignty and energy independence,” said Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM Group, in a statement.

Since 2022, TotalEnergies has been supplying SAF to Air France-KLM Group airlines in France as part of the French incorporation mandate.

For the past 10 years, TotalEnergies and the Air France-KLM Group have been working together to test and incorporate SAF. This partnership began in 2014 with "Lab’line for the Future," a two-year experiment during which 78 Air France flights between Paris-Orly and Toulouse, and between Paris-Orly and Nice were fueled with 10% SAF supplied by TotalEnergies.

In January 2020, TotalEnergies and Air France took part, alongside Safran and Suez, in the Call for Expressions of Interest launched by the French government to encourage the emergence of a French SAF production industry.