Raya Airways taps into SAF for carbon reductions through DHL Express

Raya Airways, a leading freighter operator based in Malaysia, announced its participation in DHL Express’ GoGreen Plus service for the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for decarbonisation targets.

The move enables Raya Airways to reduce carbon emissions associated with its time-definite international shipments by 30 percent, says an official release.

“At Raya Airways, we believe in thinking holistically about the environmental footprint of our business," says Mohamad Najib bin Ishak, Group Managing Director, Raya Airways. "Moving carbon-intensive sectors like aviation towards clean operations is vital to actualising a net-zero future. Together with DHL Express, that change can start with us as we help expand the market for wider adoption of SAF."

GoGreen Plus allows customers to effectively inset the Scope 3 emissions in their supply chain by choosing their SAF commitment, the release added. "The selected amount is then blended with conventional jet fuel at the point of air transport to lower the release of CO2e and other greenhouse gases. SAF is currently the only scalable solution for the next few years to come, given that it is the sole option for long-distance flights. Made from sustainably-sourced renewable waste and residue raw materials, SAF can also cut the lifecycle emissions of typical aviation fuel by up to 80 percent."

“It is through partnerships like this that we can accelerate the transition to carbon-free aviation by scaling the supply and use of SAF,” says Julian Neo, Managing Director, Malaysia and Brunei, DHL Express. “We commend Raya Airways for taking the leap and hopefully, we can motivate more industry players to tread a similar path. DHL Express will continue to proactively provide accessible means to green innovations for the communities we serve.”

DHL Group is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and is investing €7 billion in carbon emission reduction initiatives, the release added. "With approximately 90 percent of its carbon footprint derived from the air network, viable and sustainable air transport solutions are important for creating cleaner logistics. This includes two of the largest ever deals with bp and Neste, who will supply DHL with more than 800 million litres of SAF until 2026. This contributes to the interim target of using 30 percent SAF for all air transport by 2030."

DHL Express has also partnered with Eviation for up to 12 electric cargo planes from 2027 onwards, the release added.