Cebu Pacific to use sustainable aviation fuel in future operations

BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific, operated by Cebu Air, Inc., said on Monday that it is preparing to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for its future commercial operations, as part of its sustainability goal.

“Cebu Pacific intends to use SAF for its three more aircraft deliveries later this year. It also plans to make use of SAF as part of standard protocol for future aircraft deliveries. It intends to use SAF for its future commercial operations,” the company said in a statement to BusinessWorld on Monday.

The use of this fuel results in up to 80% reduction in carbon emissions across the SAF lifecycle, the budget carrier noted.

“SAF does not require any adaptations to the aircraft or engines and does not have any negative impact on performance or maintenance,” it said in an e-mailed statement.

The Gokongwei-led carrier received on July 17 its fourth aircraft delivery for 2022.

The budget carrier’s new Airbus A320NEO used SAF on its delivery flight from Hamburg, Germany, to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

Cebu Pacific “became the first low-cost carrier in Southeast Asia to incorporate the use of SAF into its operations when it took delivery of its third A330NEO in May this year,” it said.

The airline also said that its sustainability goal is in line with global aviation’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The company noted that it has made various investments that allow it to become “fuel-efficient in its operations to keep fares affordable for the passengers.”

“The airline’s three major pillars on its sustainable journey are fleet modernization which aims, among others, having an all-Neo fleet by 2027; resource optimization, which includes pushing for fuel efficiency best practices; and utilizing SAF by launching green routes by 2025 and using SAF for its entire network by 2030,” Cebu Pacific said. — Arjay L. Balinbin