• Contributes significantly to Air Canada’s target to procure 1% of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for its estimated 2025 jet fuel use
• Supports airline’s environmental sustainability commitments and highlights the need for SAF production in Canada
• SAF purchased comparable to the conventional jet fuel used on approximately 1,197 Vancouver-Montreal round-trip flights on fully booked, average cargo hold, of a 787-9 Dreamliner, at a 50% SAF to conventional jet fuel blend

MONTREAL, Nov. 12, 2024 /CNW/ – Air Canada today announced that it has signed an agreement with Neste to purchase 77.6 million litres (20.5 million U.S. gallons) of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ as it continues to pursue its climate plans and aspiration.

“Air Canada is actively pursuing efforts to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions and SAF is a critical component of our multifaceted approach to reducing our impact on the environment and promoting environmental sustainability in our operations. This SAF purchase from Neste contributes significantly to our target of procuring SAF for one per cent of our estimated jet fuel use in 2025,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada.

“While Air Canada and the Canadian aviation industry will continue to depend on imported SAF, SAF must also become available at scale in Canada to achieve our long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is why we at Air Canada are asking federal and provincial governments to play a role and support the development of a competitive SAF industry and production market in Canada.”

“We are proud to expand our partnership with Air Canada by supplying them with a large volume of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel for use at Vancouver Airport. It is the first time our SAF is supplied to Canada. It underlines our commitment to supporting the Canadian aviation industry in its efforts to mitigate emissions and also shows the important role that policy support can play in accelerating SAF usage. We look forward to continuing our excellent collaboration with Air Canada,” said Carl Nyberg, Executive Vice President at Neste.

Neste, one of the world’s leading producers of SAF, will deliver the neat SAF purchased in a blended form to the Vancouver marine terminal starting next month, with further shipments throughout 2025. This purchase represents Air Canada’s first commercial import of SAF into Canada.

Although some additional capacity is coming online, the current global SAF supply remains very limited and costly, and can only satisfy a very small fraction of worldwide demand. In 2024, IATA announced that even a tripling of SAF production in 2024 would still only account for 0.53% of aviation’s total fuel requirements in 2024. Air Canada along with other major Canadian companies, has been engaged with governments in Canada to advance the availability of SAF and encourage support for the development of a cost-competitive Canadian-made supply of SAF for commercial aviation. Achieving this will require a regulatory approach that balances demand with supply, in order for aviation to decarbonize through energy transition while mitigating impacts on consumers. Canada is uniquely positioned to lead in the production of SAF with its abundant renewable feedstocks, advanced refining capabilities, and innovative technology providers, according to C-SAF. By leveraging these strengths, the country can create a resilient supply chain that not only supports its environmental goals but also drives economic growth and job creation.

Air Canada continues to work towards its long-term aspirational goal of net-zero GHG emissions from all its global operations by 2050, and its absolute midterm GHG net reduction targets by 2030 for both its air and ground operations, compared to its 2019 baseline.

Through Air Canada’s Leave Less Travel Program, corporate customers and cargo freight forwarders can purchase scope 3 environmental attributes associated with SAF, carbon offsets or a combination of both related to their own business air travel or cargo shipments on Air Canada. This program is one of the many initiatives being implemented to help customers with their own environmental sustainability goals. 

For more information about Air Canada’s environmental and sustainability programs, please visit Leave Less.

About Neste SAF

Sustainable aviation fuel is a renewable aviation fuel providing a more sustainable alternative to conventional, fossil-based jet fuel. Using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ may reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent over the fuel’s life cycle, compared to using conventional jet fuel and when used in neat form (i.e. unblended) and calculated with established life cycle assessment methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology. Neste’s SAF is made from used cooking oil and animal fat waste and is certified for commercial use. SAF can currently be blended with up to 50% conventional jet fuel before use and is compatible with existing aircraft engines and fueling infrastructure. 

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline, the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is Canada’s premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world’s largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada’s passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada’s climate ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada’s TCFD disclosure.