Etihad Airways becomes first airline to participate in World Energy’s net-zero program

Etihad Airways and World Energy, a carbon-net-zero solutions provider, announced the signing of a historical Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a long-term strategic partnership to decarbonise flights through in-sector emissions reductions.

Etihad is the first commercial airline to participate in World Energy’s recently launched service for airline and corporate climate leaders taking real action to achieve net-zero goals.

Gene Gebolys, CEO of World Energy said, “We are making long-term commitments with leaders to decarbonise transport. Our work with Etihad is strategic and rooted in purpose. It will drive innovation and accountability so we can scale sustainable fuels and make a real and impactful reduction toward effectively decarbonizing aviation.”

The announcement comes on the heels of the two companies powering the first net-zero flight using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) via a Book & Claim system. This is accomplished by displacing approximately 26,000 gallons of petroleum-based jet fuel through the use of net-zero equivalent gallons of World Energy’s SAF at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The result was the elimination of approximately 250 metric tonnes of carbon related to Etihad’s regular routing flight from Washington Dulles to Abu Dhabi during COP27.

Mariam Alqubaisi, head of Sustainability & Business Excellence, Etihad Airways, said, “Our NetZero flight proved Book & Claim is the only feasible path to net-zero commercial aviation using current technology and is the transition framework required until the supply of sustainable aviation fuel reaches its maturity and availability. Net-zero commercial aviation is possible, but we have to be honest as an industry and say there are significant logistical challenges to using SAF at present.”

Etihad Airways becomes the first airline to participate in World Energy’s net-zero program, a decarbonization service based on Sustainable Aviation Fuel.#WamNews https://t.co/Is8YVaXDmt pic.twitter.com/ZhGmGhQKxV

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) November 16, 2022

Alqubaisi added,“We are committed to using actual SAF on our flights from the US and across the world when we can secure a sustainable and efficient supply at the airports we serve.”

The Book & Claim MOU between Etihad and World Energy establishes the pending agreement between the two companies, which is the first of its kind, long-term contract to supply an airline with the environmental attributes associated with SAF produced in Los Angeles, California.

World Energy, working with logistics partners, will deliver the physical SAF to LAX, which will displace conventional fossil fuel required by aircraft flying out of the airport. Etihad will receive the emission reductions in the form of SAF certificates (SAFc) once World Energy blends the SAF and it achieves “drop-in” ASTM certification.

Etihad in turn will be able to include their customers on the certificates, which will allow those customers to mitigate the emissions related to business flights. Both the physical SAF delivery and the SAFc ownership transfer will be independently verified by an auditor.

“We are committed to making good our commitment to sustainable aviation, and our Greenliner and Sustainabile50 partnership programmes continue to test and refine our roadmap to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and halving net emission levels by 2035,” concluded Alqubaisi.

The NetZero flight is the latest in a series of “EcoFlight” tests since Etihad launched its Greenliner programme in 2020, each one testing and proving a series of concepts.