Cathay expands SAF programme with record partner commitments

Cathay recorded another year of record growth in its Corporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Programme in 2025, with commitments more than doubling from 2024 as more corporate and cargo customers joined efforts to reduce emissions from business travel and air cargo shipments.

The programme, launched in 2022, continued to build momentum during the year, supported by 17 global partners. Together, these partners committed to using around 17,400 tonnes of SAF in 2025, an increase of nearly 180% compared with the previous year. This level of SAF use represents an estimated reduction of about 54,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions on a lifecycle basis.

Cathay welcomed Microsoft as a new partner to the programme in 2025, working together to address emissions from both air cargo and business travel. Kuehne + Nagel, a Diamond partner since 2024, remained the largest cargo contributor during the year. The partnership with DHL Express also enabled the first SAF uplift on flights operated by Air Hong Kong, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cathay Group.

Several Diamond partners, including EQT, entered into multi-year SAF commitments with Cathay, highlighting a long-term approach to scaling SAF use. DSV and Ernst & Young were also among the Diamond partners in 2025, contributing to the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel.

Rising commitments from Corporate SAF Programme partners have enabled Cathay to purchase additional SAF beyond mandatory requirements and its own voluntary usage. This increased usage has been supported by partnerships with global SAF suppliers to expand the availability of fuel certified to internationally recognised sustainability standards across Cathay’s network. Key suppliers in 2025 included China Aviation Oil Europe, Itochu, Neste, Shell Aviation, Sinopec and SK Energy.

Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam said the airline could not achieve its sustainability goals alone and highlighted the importance of collaboration between corporate customers and SAF suppliers. He noted that while the growth seen in 2025 was encouraging, supportive policies and effective market incentives would be critical to scale SAF adoption and support the industry’s 2050 net-zero ambition.

Beyond the Corporate SAF Programme, Cathay continued to support the scaling of SAF supply through strategic investments and partnerships, including two joint investment initiatives announced in 2025 focused on expanding production capacity and developing next-generation SAF technologies. The airline also launched a dedicated SAF contribution platform in 2025, allowing individual travellers to participate in aviation decarbonisation through a membership-linked digital platform.