Japan Airlines launches program to turn cooking oil into sustainable aviation fuel
29/04/2024 (Aerotime Hub) - Japan Airlines announced that it had launched a pilot program in Yokohama City to turn used cooking oil into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on its flights.
The airline launched the program in partnership with Yokohama City under the “Fry to Fly” project, which aims to realize a decarbonized society through domestic resource recycling, and is promoting initiatives for the production of SAF by utilizing used cooking oil as its feedstock.
Since March 2024, the airline has been collecting used cooking oil from households in Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city, to use as a biodiesel and SAF feedstock. Japan Airlines said it will be used on flights starting 2025.
The used cooking oil is collected by AEON Food Style Kamoi store, which is operated by the Japanese supermarket chain Daiei.
Japan Airlines and Yokohama’s city government are also planning to sell bottles for depositing oil and organize publicity events with airline employees. It is hoped that the activity will spread to more facilities in the new fiscal year.
In a social media post, the airline said it has “broader plans” to expand the program to regions across Japan, adding that the initiative is bringing the airline close to its goal of replacing 10% of its fuel with SAF by 2030.
Construction of Japan’s first SAF manufacturing plant is currently underway at Sakai City, Osaka, with the goal of commercializing domestically produced SAF by 2025.