Airbus and Cathay accelerate SAF adoption

November 11, 2025

2 min read

Airbus and Cathay have joined forces to accelerate adoption of sustainable aviation fuels.

The adoption of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) is faced with several challenges: the cost of SAF comparative with jet fuel, a lack of consistent and clear policies, securing sustainable and scalable feedstocks, and overall technological maturity.

The announcement of a $70 million joint investment from Airbus and Cathay Group hopes to change that, by clearly signalling their intention to support and accelerate the adoption of SAF worldwide.

SAF is a liquid fuel created from renewable sources or feedstocks such as cooking oils, plant oils, and agricultural and forestry waste. To be considered sustainable, it must take from renewable sources and adhere to strict rules, such as not using feedstocks from food intended for human consumption.

The agreement between Airbus and Cathay was announced in Hong Kong at the IATA World Sustainability Symposium, at a ceremony hosted by Alex McGowan Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer at Cathay Group, and Anand Stanley, President Asia-Pacific at Airbus (pictured above).

IATA has estimated that SAF could contribute around 65% of the reduction in emissions needed by the aviation industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050. In order to do so, a combination of policy support and SAF becoming competitive with kerosene is required.

Both companies will work collaboratively to identify, evaluate and invest in projects that support the scaling of SAF production from 2030 onwards. Projects will be evaluated against commercial viability, technological maturity, and their potential for long-term offtake.

The collaboration will also advocate for supportive SAF policies on the supply and demand side cross Asia, a region identified for its strong potential in feedstock supply, production capacity and thriving aviation market.