AirAsia is exploring options to introduce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into its fuel mix before 2025 as it champions immediate action towards greener skies.
Senior Manager of Flight Operations Projects, Development & Efficiency Jonathan Sanjay made the announcement during this week's inauguration of Sustainability Day.
Since 2015, the budget airline has saved over $130 million in fuel consumption, while avoiding the associated CO2 emissions, he revealed.
The goal is to reach net zero by 2050.
“All airlines are faced with four pathways to decarbonise, namely to upgrade their fleet, step up implementation of green operating procedures, switch to biofuels and offset remaining emissions," according to Capital A Chief Sustainability Officer, Yap Mun Ching.
She explained that, "AirAsia’s top priorities are in upgrading its fleet to the A321neo, the most fuel-efficient aircraft on the market today, and in expanding and deepening its industry-leading fuel-efficiency programme."
AirAsia currently has on order 362 new A321neo aircraft which will be delivered between 2024 and 2035.
“Whether we are using fossil fuels or biofuels, what should precede this question is whether we are using more than is necessary," the executive pointed out.
AirAsia’s fuel efficiency programme is one of the best, if not the best in the world, she maintained adding that, "It enabled us to achieve among the lowest cost and emissions per seat in the industry.”
AirAsia is factoring environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) considerations into the deployment of its fleet assets, switching to greener biofuels and taking opportunities for ESG financing and managing talent to meet its future growth needs.
"As we rebuild our business post-pandemic, we are broadening and deepening our sustainability agenda by incorporating ESG practices into our strategic priorities so that we recover stronger and better," says Yap Mun Ching.
However, since aviation is a hard-to-abate sector, decarbonisation in aviation requires collaborative efforts not only from airlines but from all industry stakeholders.
"The world is likely to reach an environmental tipping point earlier than expected," she noted.
"This calls for immediate action by all parties to realise and make accessible the solutions that airlines need to reduce its carbon emissions.”