SINGAPORE, 23 September 2024: AirAsia embarks on a new chapter in its partnership with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to advance research into aviation sustainability initiatives that lower carbon emissions in the ASEAN region.
In a Memorandum of Understanding between their sustainability divisions, AirAsia and Airbus will collaborate to explore decentralised production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) using alternative feedstock and technologies in Southeast Asia.
The research-based partnership aims to identify opportunities to support the onward commercial development of promising projects to expand SAF supply in the region.
The MoU also set forth conditions for jointly investigating advanced measures to improve air traffic management (ATM) and reduce CO2 emissions, leveraging AirAsia’s industry-leading fuel efficiency programme and Airbus’ pioneering role as a global leader in aeronautics, space, and related services.
The organisations will identify applicable solutions developed as part of the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) Project* and assess their suitability for adaptation to ASEAN skies.
Capital A Chief Sustainability Officer, Yap Mun Ching said: “AirAsia will be a key partner of Airbus in ASEAN to test the feasibility of SAF output developed using alternative feedstock and technologies, as well as ground-breaking ATM initiatives supported by Airbus’ innovation teams. As a regional carrier based in five ASEAN countries, we bring unparalleled operational experience to complement Airbus’ technological expertise. The partnership establishes a foundation upon which to build joint projects at multiple levels that address the broad needs of improving the sector’s environmental performance.”
Yap said the partnership directly addresses the aviation sector’s prerogative to invest in and scale up in-sector solutions critical to decarbonising the industry. Besides improving efficiency and adopting SAF, she said upgrading AirAsia’s fleet to the most fuel-efficient models is a key pathway to achieving net zero by 2050.
AirAsia deployed its brand-new A321neo aircraft in June, and the airline will receive five more aircraft in the fourth quarter of the year for entry into service in Malaysia and Thailand.
AirAsia currently holds an order for 361 units of the A321 model to meet its fleet growth and replacement needs. By 2035, aircraft upgrades are expected to reduce AirAsia’s CO2 emissions by up to 10% compared to its 2019 baseline. Operational efficiencies and SAF are expected to deliver another 15% reduction as the airline group charts its pathway towards net zero by 2050.
In 2023, AirAsia avoided emitting 130,000 tonnes of CO2 from its narrowbody regional network by implementing over 20 operational efficiency measures, equivalent to the impact of more than 2 million trees planted**. These measures contributed to a reduction in fuel costs of USD40 million and over USD388,000 in shadow carbon costs.
*SESAR is the technological pillar of the EU’s Single European Skies initiative, which aims to modernise Europe’s air and ground ATM infrastructure and procedures to enhance safety, cost-efficiency, and environmental performance. Sincehan EUR2 billion has been committed to the development phase of SESAR’s ambitious goals.
**United States Environmental Protection Agency, ‘Greenhouse Gases Equivalencies Calculator – Calculations and References: Number of urban tree seedlings grown for 10 years’.
