Vietnam Airlines adopts SAF fuel fuel for flights departing from European Union

On January 1, 2025, Vietnam Airlines became the first Vietnamese airline to introduce sustainable aviation fuel for flights departing from European Union airports. The company is committed to using a blend containing at least 2% SAF, with a gradual increase to 6% by 2030, 20% by 2035, and 70% by 2050. For its flights from the UK in 2025, Vietnam Airlines is also adopting an SAF blend of at least 2%, with ambitious targets of 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040.

This milestone highlights the national airline's central role in promoting sustainable practices, and its commitment to achieving Vietnam's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Sustainable Aviation Fuel is a key lever for decarbonizing air transport, while allowing us to offer passengers high-quality, environmentally-friendly service. On May 27, 2024, Vietnam Airlines reached a historic milestone by becoming the first Vietnamese airline to use SAF on a commercial passenger flight, with the operation of flight VN660 between Singapore and Hanoi.

Currently, sustainable aviation fuels can cost two to three times more than traditional jet fuel derived from fossil resources, and sometimes as much as five or six times more. It is estimated that the use of SAF will increase Vietnam Airlines' operating costs by around $4.8 million a year for its European flights.

As part of its decarbonization strategy, Vietnam Airlines is not limiting itself to the use of SAF. The company has also implemented various measures to reduce its CO2 emissions, including operating new-generation aircraft, optimizing routes, applying fuel-saving practices, and using advanced IT systems to monitor and analyze fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, with audits carried out by third parties.

By 2025, these efforts should allow Vietnam Airlines to halve its CO2 emissions by almost 70,000 tonnes, thanks to fuel-saving techniques alone.

Vietnam Airlines is reinforcing its positioning as a “green airline” through numerous initiatives in favor of sustainable development. These include the Skyteam Aviation Challenge 2024, the United Nations International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the Contribute Leaves to the Forests - For a Green and Sustainable Vietnam project, which aims to restore forest ecosystems, the Flying Light to Con Dao campaign, designed to raise awareness of CO2 emissions reduction and mobilize young people around sustainable climate actions, as well as its partnership with Aviation Sans Frontières.

These initiatives demonstrate Vietnam Airlines' commitment to environmental preservation, sustainable development and corporate social responsibility within the framework of Environment, Social, Governance principles. The company will continue to work with partners in its supply chain to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels and promote global sustainability solutions.