Korean Air has partnered with South Korean energy and chemical company GS Caltex to conduct test flights using sustainable aviation fuel, the carrier announced Thursday.
The carrier will use SAF supplied by GS Caltex on select international flights departing from Seoul Incheon International Airport over a six-month period beginning in the second half of 2023. The South Korean government will analyze the results and use them to establish SAF implementation guidelines for domestic use and to set SAF quality standards prior to full-scale domestic production, according to Korean Air.
Korean Air tested SAF for the first time in November 2017 between Seoul Incheon and Chicago O’Hare and has been using SAF on its Paris-Seoul Incheon route since last year. The carrier also has signed an agreement with producer Shell to purchase SAF at major airports across the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East for five years starting in 2026, according to the carrier.
