DHL Group has announced a major expansion of its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) partnership with IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), through a new five-year agreement covering SAF uplifted at London Heathrow Airport, Biofuels International Magazine reported.
The new agreement, taken together with a previous deal renewed in 2025, will enable approximately 240 million litres of SAF to be uplifted at Heathrow and will reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with DHL Express cargo transported on British Airways flights. DHL Express will receive Scope 3 emissions reductions from approximately 40 million litres of neat SAF per year, with the combined impact of both agreements amounting to a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 640,000 tonnes of CO2e.
The collaboration will also be supported by a separate framework agreement between DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) and IAG Cargo, which the companies said is aimed at strengthening a cross-divisional strategy to secure reliable and diversified access to sustainable fuels across the DHL Group.
Travis Cobb, Executive Vice President of global network operations and aviation at DHL Express, said the agreement demonstrates what becomes possible when two committed SAF users in the industry combine their efforts. He said it significantly expands the company’s capacity to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions on a major trade lane and shows how cross-sector partnerships can deliver concrete emissions reductions.
Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at IAG Cargo, said the deepening partnership with DHL reflects a shared commitment to delivering more sustainable air freight solutions while continuing to support global trade flows. He added that partnerships of this kind will be critical to scaling the use of SAF across the aviation industry.
