Korean Air operates maiden SAF flight from Seoul

Korean Air, South Korean flag carrier, became the first Korean airline to operate commercial flights using domestically produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on its inaugural flight KE719 from Seoul Incheon to Tokyo Haneda on August 30, 2024.

The SAF used for the flight was provided by leading Korean energy firms S-Oil and SK Energy.

S-Oil produced the SAF from used cooking oil, while SK Energy utilised a combination of used cooking oil and animal fats. Both companies’ SAF products are certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ensuring their sustainability.

Starting from August 30, 2024 through July 2025, Korean Air will utilise a 1% SAF blend for flight KE719 from Seoul Incheon to Tokyo Narita, once a week serving as a starting point for the Korean Air’s domestic SAF program, with plans to gradually expand SAF usage to medium- and long-haul routes.

Korea is also laying the groundwork for SAF market growth. In 2022, MOLIT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the “Eco-friendly Biofuel Expansion Plan” to establish quality and production standards for domestically produced SAF.

In August 2024, the government amended the “Petroleum and Alternative Fuel Business Act” to permit the use of eco-friendly materials in petroleum refining processes.

Earlier this week, South Korean government announced that it aims to ensure all departing international flights use a mix of about 1% of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2027. The government said that as many as six South Korean airlines have begun, or plan, to mix 1% of SAF in the fuel for a single international route once a week starting from this year.