Air France-KLM has signed up travel agency Moresand Ltd as the second UK-based firm to join its corporate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) programme.
The airline group, which first launched its corporate SAF platform two years ago, allows companies to reduce their carbon footprint from travel by contributing to the production and use of the sustainable fuel.
The new agreement will see Moresand “actively support” the shift towards using more SAF for flights. Using the sustainable fuel can reduce emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with traditional jet fuel.
London-based Moresand, which was set up in 1987, owns several leisure and corporate travel brands, including Crystal Corporate.
Sukh Kang, director at Moresand Limited, said: “Sustainable aviation fuel - whilst in its infancy - is available today and can be used without the need to develop new planes or engines.
“Air France KLM have set ambitious sustainability targets and we at Moresand are delighted to support their efforts to increase adoption by joining their SAF corporate programme.”
The aviation industry is betting big on the development of SAF as the sector looks to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Airlines association IATA says that using SAF will eventually account for 65 per cent of the reduction in emissions that is needed for the airline sector to become carbon neutral by the middle of the century.
But despite production of SAF tripling in 2022, there are fears that production will not be able to meet increasing demand from airlines and corporate clients over the coming years. Currently less than 1 per cent of fuel used to power commercial flights comes from sustainable sources.
Fahmi Mahjoub, UK and Ireland general manager of Air France-KLM, said that Moresand joining the corporate SAF programme was a “major step forward” in the UK market.
“Today marks the start of a new level of co-operation across the industry and we hope that this news helps spread the awareness in the UK and that more companies will join us in making SAF more readily available around the globe,” added Mahjoub.