Kuehne+Nagel partners with IAG Cargo to reduce supply chain emissions

The delivery will be completed by 2022 and will remove approximately 18,300 tonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent of 150 British Airways flights (fuel-efficient Boeing 787 aircraft) between London and New York.

The SAF, manufactured from sustainable waste feedstocks, will be sourced from Phillips 66 Limited's Humber Refinery in Lincolnshire, England – the first to produce SAF at scale in the UK.

IAG was the first European airline group to commit to 10% of its fuel to be SAF by 2030. SAF can reduce carbon emissions by over 90% and is widely recognised as the most effective measure to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of air cargo.

About the development, John Cheetham, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Cargo said, "Sustainable aviation fuels are supporting the industry to significantly lower carbon emissions and we know reducing carbon footprint is important for our customers, colleagues and partners."

He welcomed the collaboration with Kuehne+Nagel, saying, "I'm delighted that we are once again collaborating with Kuehne+Nagel. This is an important next step in our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. Partnerships like these are key as we continue to look at ways to support sustainable air cargo."

Yngve Ruud, member of the management board of Kuehne+Nagel, responsible for Air Logistics, said, "We continue to prioritise measures that facilitate a transition to a low-carbon business model, ours and our customers. By securing another significant amount of Sustainable Aviation Fuel together with IAG Cargo, we are reaffirming our commitment to the long-term transformation of the industry and readiness to drive it."

IAG Cargo first partnered with Kuehne+Nagel last year to power a charter chain of 16 flights from Stuttgart to Atlanta. Answering growing customer demand for environmentally friendly logistics, Kuehne+Nagel has been proactively expanding its sustainable services portfolio with innovative and easily customised shipping options. Kuehne+Nagel has so far sourced 21mn litres of SAF allowing its customers to benefit from immediately available alternative fuel solutions to reduce CO2 emissions of their air freight globally.

IAG Cargo is the single business created following the merger of British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo in April 2011. Following the integration of additional airlines into the business, including Aer Lingus, Vueling and British Midland International (BMI), IAG Cargo now covers a global network. 

In 2021 IAG Cargo had a commercial revenue of €1,673 million. It has a combined workforce of more than 2,250 people. Its parent company, International Airlines Group, is one of the world's largest airline groups with 531 aircraft on 31st December 2021. It is the third-largest group in Europe and the sixth-largest in the world, based on revenue.