Hawaiian Airlines will begin using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on flights between Osaka, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawai‘i, under a sales agreement between its parent company Alaska Air Group Inc. and Cosmo Oil Marketing Co. Ltd., a unit of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co. Ltd, reports Alaska Air.
Fuel deliveries have started this month at Kansai International Airport, marking the first time Hawaiian Airlines will use SAF, which can reduce life-cycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.
“Japan is one of our most important international markets. Thanks to Cosmo’s investment in locally sourced SAF, we are now able to use this cleaner fuel on our Osaka–Honolulu route. SAF is currently the most effective tool to cut aviation emissions,” said Alanna James, Director of Sustainability Innovation at Hawaiian Airlines.
The SAF supplied under this agreement is produced from used cooking oil collected in Japan. It became commercially available after Cosmo received a subsidy in 2021 from the government-backed New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) to develop a domestic SAF supply chain. The fuel carries ISCC CORSIA and ISCC EU certifications, confirming compliance with international sustainability standards.
“SAF is a central part of aviation’s journey to cut emissions. We are proud to support the decarbonization goals of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and their passengers. This partnership is an important step in promoting the wider use of SAF,” said Naoki Takayama, President of Cosmo Oil Marketing Co., Ltd.
The fuel will be produced by SAFFAIRE SKY ENERGY LLC, a joint venture of Cosmo Oil Co., JGC Holdings Corporation, and REVO International Inc. The group has been working since 2021 with support from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and NEDO to commercialize SAF.
“I want to thank everyone who has supported our work to establish Japan’s SAF supply chain. Through projects like ACT for SKY and Fry to Fly, we are building a system to recycle waste cooking oil into aviation fuel,” said Takeshi Takada, Representative of SAFFAIRE SKY ENERGY LLC.
Cosmo Energy Group is also running a pilot program to collect used cooking oil at service stations as part of its goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Their plans include investments in SAF, new technologies, and modern aircraft.
