Japan Airlines (JAL) is eyeing greater use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as part of efforts to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 after achieving several responsible flight milestones in 2025.
JAL aims to become “the leading airline in the use of SAF” by cooperating with public and private sectors, working with stakeholders in Japan and overseas, and promoting the commercialisation of SAF.
“Relationships and connections with countries around the world through air transportation are necessary for an island nation like Japan, thus we believe we have a mission to make air transportation sustainable,” said Mitsuko Tottori, president of JAL.
April 2025 saw the start of full-scale operations at Japan’s first SAF production facility in Osaka, which powered JAL’s first passenger flight using domestically mass-produced SAF, from Kansai International Airport to Shanghai, in May.
JAL then expanded use of this SAF, produced using cooking oil collected across Japan under the Fry to Fly Project, to some of its flights departing Haneda Airport from July. The airline plans to replace one per cent of its total jet fuel with SAF by March 2026.
In October, construction began on a demonstration plant at Morisora Bio Refinery in Miyagi Prefecture following JAL’s investment in the project. The facility will transform local forest resources into woody biomass bioethanol that can be used as SAF, and is expected to produce more than 1,000 kilolitres of bioethanol annually from 2027.
JAL also announced its investment in the oneworld Breakthrough Energy Ventures Fund, which aims to advance SAF technologies.
