Korean Air has partnered with SK Energy, a major petroleum and refinery company in Korea, to introduce carbon-neutral jet fuel to actively counter climate change. Through the partnership, the airline will purchase a month’s worth of carbon-neutral jet fuel for domestic flights departing from Jeju and Cheongju.
Carbon-neutral jet fuel can be achieved by measuring the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced through fuel production, transport and consumption, and purchasing carbon credits to offset the carbon footprint.
Greenhouse gases generated from aircraft operations account for 2 to 3 percent of total global emissions. In line with the global aviation industry’s efforts for sustainable growth, Korean Air is seeking various methods to reduce carbon emissions to achieve carbon-neutral growth and fight climate change.
Korean Air is actively participating in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), and introducing eco-friendly and high-efficient aircraft. The airline’s recently introduced A220-300 is equipped with the latest engine, which reduces carbon emissions per seat by 25% compared to existing models of similar capacity.
In 2017, Korean Air became the first Korean airline to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF); SAF was trialled on a flight departing from Chicago to Incheon. In June this year, the airline also partnered with Hyundai Oil Bank to develop a foundation for biofuel manufacturing and its usage.
In 2019, Korean Air replaced single-use plastics such as straws, coffee stirrers and cups with eco-friendly paper products, and has also conducted tree planting activities in Mongolia and China’s Kubuqi Desert.
Korean Air has been working to improve its environmental, social and governance (ESG) management, and established an ESG committee, which reviews its management strategies focusing on ESG. The airline also issued ESG bonds in July to raise funds to purchase eco-friendly Boeing 787-10 aircraft.
Korean Air will continue its efforts to enhance ESG management and reduce carbon emissions to help tackle climate change.
About Korean Air
Korean Air, established in 1969, is one of the world’s top 20 airlines and carried more than 27 million passengers in 2019, pre-COVID. The airline serves 120 cities in 43 countries on five continents; it has a modern fleet of 157 aircraft and employs over 20,000 professional employees. Its global hub is at Incheon International Airport (ICN) and its core businesses are passenger, cargo, aerospace, and aviation maintenance and repair.
Korean Air is a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance – 19 member airlines working together across an extensive global network to welcome 676 million customers each year on more than 15,445 daily flights to 1,036 destinations in 170 countries (pre-COVID.)
Korean Air’s joint venture with Delta Air Lines has produced significant expediency and access to hundreds of destinations in the Americas on Delta and 80 points in Asia on Korean Air. Korean Air and Delta co-locate in Incheon’s beautiful Terminal 2, making connections between Asia and America some of the industry’s quickest.
With more than 50 years of serving the world, Korean Air’s vision is to be a respected leader in the world airline community, dedicated to providing Excellence in Flight. Its commitment to airline safety, cleanliness and comfort are renowned.
More on Korean Air’s programs, routes, frequencies and partners is available at koreanair.com
Featured image credited to Korean Air
