Spanish energy company Repusol has commenced the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Atlas Air Worldwide, operator of the world’s largest fleet of 747 freighter aircraft, to use regularly on its Inditex freight transport flights in Spain.
Initially incorporating 5% SAF on all its flights from November 2023, the cargo carrier is the first to use SAF on all Spanish flights, marking what it describes as ‘a new milestone in the airline sector’.
The agreement also aims to enhance local SAF production, including boosting refinery capacity and sourcing nearby raw materials. In the coming weeks, Repusol will start up its first facility ‘dedicated exclusively to the production of biofuels in the Iberian Peninsula’, estimated to have a production capacity of 250,000 tons of SAF and renewable diesel per year.
The SAF agreement also positions Atlas Air in a position to comply with anticipated compliance measures included in the ReFuelEU Aviation regulations that require the use of 2% renewable duels in 2025, 6% in 2030 and 70% in 2050, respectively.