Korea to mandate use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel for all international departures from 2027

Korea will require the use of a mix of Sustainable Aviation Fuel on all international flights departing from the country from 2027 in an effort to align with the global push for carbon neutrality.

From left, President of SK Energy Oh Jong-hoon, CEO of S-Oil Anwar Al-Hejazi, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo, President of Korean Air Woo Kee-hong and President of Incheon International Airport Corporation Lee Hak-jae pose for a photo at an event celebrating the first commercial launch of flight using domestic sustainable aviation fuel at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on Friday. [MINISTRY OF LAND, INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT]

Korea will require the use of a mix of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on all international flights departing from the country from 2027 in an effort to align with the global push for carbon neutrality.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced such a plan Friday to ensure that all departing international flights use a 1 percent blend of SAF starting 2027, coinciding with the implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation that will be mandatory for member states.

The new SAF initiative kicked off with flag carrier Korean Air's KE719 flight on the Incheon-Haneda route on Friday, marking the first use of domestic SAF on a passenger aircraft. This positioned Korea as the 20th country globally to supply SAF certified by the ICAO.

The route will use SAF-blended fuel until July 2025, with SAF produced by S-Oil utilized for the first six months and the latter half of the year using SAF from SK Energy. Both products have been ICAO certified.

SAF is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional jet fuel, produced from biomass sources such as plants and animals or carbon captured from the atmosphere. It is chemically similar to conventional jet fuel but is not fossil fuel-based, allowing it to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent. The Transport Ministry believes a 1 percent SAF blend could cut annual carbon emissions by approximately 160,000 tons, equivalent to emissions from 53,000 passenger cars.

Currently, 19 countries have adopted SAF for commercial flights, with the EU planning to mandate that at least 2 percent of aviation fuel be SAF from 2025.

Korea's aviation industry plans to increase SAF adoption, beginning with short-haul routes.

The country's second-largest carrier, Asiana Airlines, will introduce a 1 percent SAF blend on the Incheon-Haneda route next month, while low-cost carrier T'way Air will use the same blend on the Incheon-Kumamoto route, with both operating once a week. Additionally, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air and Jin Air plan to start SAF fueling by the end of the year. The airlines have signed purchase agreements with domestic refineries to secure their SAF supplies.

With SAF known to cost two to three times more than regular jet fuel, the government is considering measures to mitigate the impact on airfares. These include reducing airport facility usage fees for airlines adopting SAF and offering benefits to passengers who fly on SAF-fueled flights in order to minimize the potential impact on flight prices.

Furthermore, the government is exploring support measures for the expansion of SAF production domestically, including potential tax credits for R&D investments by domestic companies and incentives to lower the production costs of SAF.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]