KLM Automatically Adds Sustainable Aviation Fuel on Flights Departing Amsterdam

Starting today, KLM will add 0.5% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for flights departing Amsterdam. Customers will also have the option of purchasing additional amounts of SAF when booking from January 13, 2021.

KLM Automatically Adds Ticket Surcharge for Flights Departing Amsterdam to Finance a 0.5% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Addition - Courtesy KLM

On Monday (January 10, 2022), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced an expansion of their approach for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), aiming to stimulate the market. Starting today, the carrier will add 0.5% SAF for flights on departure from Amsterdam, and beginning on January 13, 2022, customers will also have the option of purchasing extra SAF when booking. KLM’s customers already participate in the airline’s Corporate and Cargo SAF Programme, providing the airline with a relatively substantial of the global SAF market. However, with a share of 0.18% in 2019, this still represents less than one percent of KLM’s total fuel consumption. The additional 0.5% SAF addition, which will be funded by a surcharge on passenger tickets, is an incremental step in the right direction in the transition to sustainable energy.

The CO2 emissions of the SAF that KLM currently purchases are at least 75 percent lower than traditional kerosene. The cost of SAF production is at least four times higher than fossil fuels and production is lagging behind. KLM hopes that by increasing demand, they will help expand the market. A surcharge for the cost of the 0.5% SAF will automatically be added to the price of KLM’s tickets and will range from one to 12 euros per ticket, depending on flight distance and booking class. For guests wishing to further reduce the carbon footprint of their journey, KLM has expanded their CO2ZERO Programme, allowing customers to purchase additional SAF when booking travel.

In 2011, KLM conducted the world’s first commercial flight powered by blended biofuel. Additionally, in February 2021, the carrier operated a commercial flight with a mixture of sustainable synthetic fuel. KLM focuses on both technologies for their SAF with fuels based on used cooking oil, forestry residues and sustainable synthetic fuel. The airline is currently purchasing relatively large volumes of SAF to guarantee the standard 0.5% ad mixture for flights on departure from Amsterdam, as well as additional demand via the CO2ZERO Programme and demand generated by KLM’s Corporate SAF Programme and the Air France-KLM-Martinair SAF Programme.

Source: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines