The price of aviation fuel has jumped in the Asia Pacific, bringing more attention to the prospects for sustainable aviation fuel.
Singapore Airlines says higher fuel prices are cutting into profits.
On Wednesday, the airline announced its fuel costs surged by nearly a third in the second quarter, highlighting the longer-term search for different fuel sources.
In May, the airline announced its first major purchase of sustainable airline fuel refined in Singapore.
While its use is in very early stages, airlines around the world are paying attention.
This week, United Airlines announced it will purchase a small amount of sustainable aviation fuel to use at Chicago's O'Hare airport.
JetBlue announced a similar deal for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The contracts in the United States are measured in millions of gallons. For Singapore, it's a much bigger order — a thousand tons of fuel.
This week also brought a reminder from the Asia Pacific about the challenges facing sustainable operations.
Air New Zealand has become the first major airline to scale back its climate goals.
The airline is abandoning its target of cutting carbon emissions by 2030 and will re-calculate a new goal.
It blames delays in the production of fuel-efficient aircraft, and quotes, “the affordability and availability of alternative jet fuels.”
