Flying Greener Will Come at a Price, Industry Players Warn

Consumers will need to accept that there is an added cost to flying greener, as the price of less polluting jet fuel made from waste materials, such as used cooking oil, will not fall to that of regular fossil fuel any time soon.

- Kok Yufeng

But if investments in sustainable aviation fuel are not made today, there could be more to pay later as the planet warms.

DHL Express Singapore managing director Christopher Ong made this point during a media visit on Aug 7 to the parcel delivery giant's facility in Changi Airfreight Centre, which was jointly hosted by Finnish renewable fuel producer Neste.

The two companies inked a deal in July for DHL Express to use sustainable aviation fuel made in Neste's refinery in Singapore on cargo flights out of Changi Airport until June 2026.

In total, 7,400 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel, or around 9.5 million litres, will be supplied to DHL Express, accounting for 35 per cent to 40 per cent of the total fuel used by its fleet of five Boeing 777 freighters here.

This is the largest purchase of sustainable jet fuel in Asia by volume so far.

Mr Ong said sustainable fuels are a key lever to reduce DHL Express' emissions, 90 per cent of which come from its aviation activities.