China Airlines Blazes New Trail in Sustainability with First-ever Use of 40% SAF on Long-Haul Route

(中央社財經訊息服務20260915 10:02:28)

(中央社財經訊息服務20260915 09:12:32)China Airlines, a Taiwan-based carrier, is blazing a new trail in sustainable development by participating in SkyTeam’s The Aviation Challenge (TAC) for the fifth time this year. Long-haul route Flight CI073 (Taipei-Amsterdam) was chosen as the demonstration flight for the first time on September 13. The demonstration flight was supported by SAF environmental attributes equivalent to 40% of its fuel consumption, representing China Airlines' largest SAF application on a long-haul route. Along with low-carbon plant-based food and air and ground-side carbon reduction, these measures demonstrate China Airlines' commitment to promoting sustainable aviation.

CTBC Partnership Renewed to Set New Record for SAF Application

China Airlines is using innovative practices to reduce carbon emissions from air travel. This year’s TAC theme, Collective Momentum, highlights the importance of working with business partners and supply chains to advance sustainability and the transition to net zero. For the first time, China Airlines expanded its demonstration flight to a long-haul route and renewed its partnership with CTBC Bank, its co-branded credit card partner. After jointly using 20% SAF on regional routes in 2024, the two companies have taken the partnership a step further with this demonstration flight. Through the Book & Claim approach, SAF environmental attributes equivalent to 40% of the flight's fuel consumption were allocated to the demonstration flight, representing 36.3 tonnes of SAF and China Airlines' largest SAF application to date under The Aviation Challenge. Since 2022, China Airlines has operated eight demonstration flights, achieving cumulative carbon reductions of at least 600 tonnes and underscoring its commitment to low-carbon transportation.

China Airlines has long supported the use of SAF. Recent initiatives included the use of SAF during ferry flights by new aircraft as well as passenger-carrying and freight-only flights. These, along with collaborations with enterprise customers, have made China Airlines the leader of the domestic airline industry. China Airlines President Kevin Chen stated that SAF is the key to the net zero transformation for the aviation industry and the airline has been working actively to expand the scope of application for SAF. Key markets such as Europe, the Americas, and Asia have all been the focus of SAF promotion efforts since 2025. The low-carbon philosophy is also embedded in flight operations and traveler services. By investing in carbon reduction actions in collaboration with corporate partners, the supply chain, and travelers, China Airlines is turning every flight into a driver of industry transformation and accelerating the realization of Net Zero by 2050.

Anderson Chen, Head of the Payment Business at CTBC Bank, said that the bank strongly backs sustainable finance and the low-carbon transformation of the airline industry. As the exclusive sponsor of this year's China Airlines SAF demonstration flight, CTBC Bank is once again giving its direct support to carbon reduction in the airline industry. He hoped that the latest collaboration will help build industry consensus on sustainability, direct sustainable finance to green industries that make a material contribution to carbon reduction, and see the bank become the most steadfast supporter of Net Zero in Taiwan.

All New Lightweight Tableware Serves Up Low-Carbon Experiences with Little Tree Food and FRAMA

All-new tableware was introduced in Premium Business Class on the Frankfurt, Prague, and Oceania routes by China Airlines in September. Travelers on the Taipei-Amsterdam demonstration flight were invited to experience the new offering as well. The design of the new tableware was inspired by the theme, “Discover China Airlines in the Mountain Forests”. A combination of lightweight ceramic and integrated functionality reduced the overall mass by 27%. Less weight translates into improved aircraft fuel efficiency. The introduction of carbonized bamboo chopsticks, 100% rPET meal covers, and FSC-certified paper materials reduced resource consumption and environmental burden even more without compromising on design quality and the traveler experience. This initiative will now be progressively rolled out to all routes.

Gourmet plant-based meals developed by the Michelin Green-Star restaurant Little Tree Food were served in all classes on the China Airlines demonstration flight to encourage travelers to choose low-carbon dining; the new Marc Jacobs co-branded travel kit also incorporates sustainable beauty products and toiletries developed in conjunction with the Copenhagen-based FRAMA design brand. The FRAMA toiletries in particular come in eco-friendly rPET bottles. China Airlines continues to promote Lite Travel Membership, e-menu in all classes, and Dynasty Sky Reading digital reading services. Carbon reduction is being practiced throughout the airline from in-flight catering to onboard amenities and traveler experience. Dynasty Sky Reading has reduced the amount of reading materials carried on flights by more than 4,300 tonnes since it was first introduced.

China Airlines' longstanding commitment to ESG continued to receive both domestic and international recognition. These included being chosen as a constituent stock for the FTSE4Good TIP Taiwan ESG Index on eight occasions, being ranked in the Top 1% of the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook, the Sustainable Development Award of the Civil Aviation Administration, as well as a gold award in the Environmental category and a bronze award in the Social category of the Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards. The airline has been a stellar performer in the SkyTeam TAC as well. Past awards included Organizational Transformation Awards – Transformational Impact through SAF, Future Proofing Strategies, Best Inflight Supply Chain, Best Adopted Solution, Best Sustainable Innovation Cargo, and Best Employee Engagement, all of which reflect China Airlines' ongoing innovations in carbon reduction and their implementation in airline operations.