Japan Airlines (JAL) is planning to expand the use of sustainable aviation fuel as part of its efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, following a series of environment-focused milestones reached in 2025, reports ttgasia.com.
The airline has set a goal of becoming a global leader in the use of sustainable aviation fuel by working closely with government bodies, private companies and other partners in Japan and abroad. JAL said international air connectivity is essential for Japan as an island nation, and making air travel sustainable is a responsibility it must take seriously.
A key step came in April 2025 with the start of full-scale operations at Japan’s first sustainable aviation fuel production facility in Osaka. In May, fuel from the plant powered JAL’s first passenger flight using domestically produced sustainable fuel, operating from Kansai International Airport to Shanghai.
From July, JAL expanded the use of this fuel to selected flights departing from Haneda Airport. The fuel is made from used cooking oil collected across Japan through the Fry to Fly Project. The airline plans to replace about one per cent of its total jet fuel consumption with sustainable aviation fuel by March 2026.
In October, construction began on a demonstration facility at the Morisora Bio Refinery in Miyagi Prefecture, following JAL’s investment in the project. The plant will use local forest resources to produce bioethanol from woody biomass, which can then be used as aviation fuel. The facility is expected to produce more than 1,000 kilolitres of bioethanol each year from 2027.
JAL has also invested in the oneworld Breakthrough Energy Ventures Fund, which focuses on supporting the development and spread of sustainable aviation fuel technologies, as the airline continues to strengthen its long-term climate strategy.
