Partnerships propel sustainability in air cargo

“Partnerships are important because we alone cannot make this happen,” said Alexander Kueper, Vice President, Renewable Aviation Business at Neste.

As aviation accelerates towards net-zero, one message has become unmistakably clear — no company can decarbonise alone. Airlines, airports, fuel producers, freight forwarders, shippers, and technology providers are increasingly coming together to tackle one of logistics’ greatest challenges: reducing greenhouse gas emissions from air cargo.

Airports as innovation hubs
Among the airports leading this transition is Edmonton International Airport (YEG), which has positioned itself as a hub for hydrogen and clean aviation technologies. Earlier this year, YEG joined H2CanFly, a pan-Canadian consortium advancing hydrogen-powered flight and supporting infrastructure.

“As Canada’s first airport-based hydrogen hub, YEG is helping test scalable solutions that could shape net-zero aviation,” said Marion N. Chivot-Legris, Director of ESG & Sustainability Strategy at YEG.

YEG’s decarbonisation efforts extend beyond aircraft fuel. The airport is piloting Diesel Tech Industries’ Guardian Hydrogen Diesel System on heavy-duty runway sweepers and expanding its hydrogen-powered ground vehicle fleet. It is also supporting ShipAlberta, a digital logistics platform connecting small businesses to global markets — reinforcing its commitment to link economic growth with environmental responsibility.

Data-driven sustainability and partnerships
Chivot-Legris said that partnerships and data-driven innovation form the foundation of the airport’s climate roadmap.

“We joined the Net-Zero Challenge by the Government of Canada in 2022, and we're now a proud bronze participant,” she explained. “That partnership with the government helps us navigate the challenging journey of identifying pathways to reach net-zero by 2050.”

“As Canada’s first airport-based hydrogen hub, YEG is helping test scalable solutions that could shape net-zero aviation.”

Marion N. Chivot-Legris, Edmonton International Airport (YEG)

She stressed the need for close collaboration with governments, academia, and industry to explore clean technologies, assess climate risks, and empower airports to take ownership of their sustainability goals.

“As part of H2CanFly, we aim to accelerate both infrastructure and aircraft technology development to make hydrogen aviation a reality,” Chivot-Legris added.

With 60% of Canada’s hydrogen produced in the Edmonton metro region, YEG is ideally positioned to serve as a testbed for hydrogen applications in aviation. The airport is collaborating with Airbus, CAE, and the National Research Council of Canada to advance hydrogen-powered flight over the next two decades.

SAF and circular collaboration
Beyond hydrogen, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) remains the most immediate lever for aviation decarbonisation — and partnerships are key to scaling it.

In a South American first, Avianca Cargo, The Queen’s Flowers, and Repsol completed the region’s first SAF Book & Claim operation, offsetting emissions equivalent to over 6,000 gallons of jet fuel on a Bogotá–Miami cargo flight. Using the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) framework, the initiative allows verified emissions reductions to be claimed even when SAF is not physically available at every airport — a model proving that collaboration and certification can make cleaner aviation globally viable.

In Europe, DB Schenker and Mercedes-Benz have set a new benchmark through their largest-ever SAF deal, purchasing 13,000 tonnes of fuel to reduce 40,000 tonnes of CO₂ on flights between Frankfurt, Beijing, and Shanghai. “Collaborative efforts like this demonstrate how shippers can play a direct role in decarbonising aviation,” said a company spokesperson.

Similarly, Cargolux, AIT Worldwide Logistics, and Microsoft have launched a three-year SAF partnership to transport server racks for Microsoft Cloud Logistics, targeting 66,000 tonnes of CO₂ savings.

Operational efficiency and forwarder collaboration
“Partnerships are extremely important in general for air cargo, but especially in sustainability,” said Anna-Maria Kirchner, Head of Global Sales at Finnair Cargo.

Kirchner emphasised that collaboration across the value chain — from fuel producers to freight forwarders — is vital for meaningful progress. Finnair Cargo works closely with forwarder partners to optimise routes, reduce cancellations, and maximise aircraft load factors. “The fuller a plane is, the less we are wasting any fuel — and that makes operations far more sustainable,” she explained.

Beyond operations, Finnair Cargo also partners with SAF suppliers, hosting educational seminars and joint initiatives to accelerate adoption. “All of this can only be done as a team sport,” she added. “Everyone — from airlines and airports to fuel suppliers, shippers, and even IT companies — plays a crucial role in making flying more sustainable.”

Forwarders driving measurable results
Partnerships between carriers and logistics providers are also producing tangible emission reductions. Avia Solutions Group, in collaboration with DHL Express, achieved a 12.61% emissions reduction (30.6 tonnes) between January and April 2025 through DHL’s GoGreen Plus service, powered by SAF supplied by bp and Neste.

On the supply side, Neste has ramped up production at its Rotterdam refinery to 1.5 million tonnes annually, with plans to reach 2.2 million tonnes by 2027. Meanwhile, Amazon Air signed an agreement with Neste to supply 7,500 tonnes of SAF for operations at San Francisco International Airport and Ontario International Airport, marking Ontario’s first use of SAF.

Energy innovation and the future of SAF
While SAF remains costlier than conventional jet fuel, industry experts agree it is indispensable to achieving net-zero goals. Broader collaboration — including new entrants, hydrogen development, and circular logistics — is essential to scaling impact.

According to Boeing’s World Air Cargo Forecast, the air cargo market is expected to grow 4.0% annually through 2043, with the global freighter fleet reaching 3,900 aircraft. Freighters are projected to handle over half of total air cargo traffic, while express carriers will account for around 25%. Rapidly growing corridors such as South Asia–East Asia, Domestic India, and Africa–East Asia — each expected to expand around 7% annually — present both opportunities and sustainability challenges.

“For me, nuclear is an important component of the future in terms of power generation to enable the production of SAF.”

Richard Forson, Cargolux

“We need more and more airlines to embark on their sustainability journey. We need more and more corporate customers to reach agreements with airlines to buy SAF and reduce their CO₂ footprint,” said Julien Manhes, Head of SAF and Fuel Efficiency at Airbus, in a video by Neste.

Nuclear power and long-term solutions
In an interview with The STAT Trade Times at transport logistic and air cargo Europe 2025 in Munich, Richard Forson, CEO of Cargolux, highlighted a longer-term perspective — the potential role of nuclear power in producing SAF sustainably.

“I see Microsoft and Google investing in restarting nuclear power plants,” Forson said. “For me, nuclear is an important component of the future in terms of power generation to enable the production of SAF.”

He mentioned that the growing energy needs of data centres cannot be met by wind or solar alone, while coal and gas face strong resistance. “Nuclear, for me, is the answer for these data centres because of the power needed to cool the equipment running inside,” he added.

Forson believes that while nuclear energy is a long-term enabler, the immediate path forward lies in collaboration and innovation. “The immediate option could be to bring in new players, enable more collaborations, and develop new technologies to produce SAF more sustainably,” he said.

The power of collaboration
From hydrogen and SAF to digital platforms and data sharing, the common denominator is clear — partnerships are no longer optional; they are essential.

By aligning incentives, sharing technologies, and coordinating strategies, airlines, shippers, fuel producers, and airports are proving that emissions reductions can be measurable, scalable, and economically viable.

The air cargo industry’s sustainability journey is a collective one — and as Forson, Kirchner, and Chivot-Legris all demonstrate — collaborative innovation remains its most powerful engine for change.

To know more about such innovations and initiatives by supply chain players to decarbonise aviation, watch our video series, Future of Transport: Innovative & Sustainable, an air cargo sustainability series.

Click here to watch Future of Transport: Innovative & Sustainable