On July 7, 2022, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Singapore Airlines (SIA), and Temasek’s investment platform GenZero delivered blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to Changi Airport via the airport’s fuel hydrant system.
This is the first time blended SAF is uplifted onto SIA and Scoot departing flights at Changi Airport. Under this pilot, 1,000 tonnes of neat SAF will be supplied by Neste and blended with refined jet fuel at ExxonMobil’s facilities in Singapore. This is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 2,500 tonnes.
Han Kok Juan, director-general, CAAS, said: “This first successful uplift of blended SAF is an important milestone in Singapore’s journey towards sustainable aviation. It shows that the Singapore Changi Airport is SAF-ready. It also provides useful operational learning points on the adoption of SAF which the CAAS is studying as part of our work on a Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint. We target to publish the Blueprint early next year.”
Announced in November 2021, the Singapore pilot aims to advance the use of SAF in Singapore. It is a follow-up to a study conducted by the Singapore Government and industry players on the operational and commercial viability of using SAF at Changi Airport.
Singapore Airlines’ senior vice president corporate planning, Lee Wen Fen, added that the move “demonstrates our commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050”.
Incorporating the blending of neat SAF in local facilities, certification of blended SAF, and delivery to Changi Airport to operationally validate SAF integration options in Singapore, the project will also provide insights on end-to-end cost components, potential pricing structures for cost recovery and support future policy considerations for SAF deployment.
In June this year, CAAS, SIA and Temasek also announced the sale of 1,000 SAF credits from July as part of this pilot. This provides customers, as well as freight forwarders, an avenue to reduce their carbon footprint, stimulate demand for SAF, support the development of the nascent SAF industry, and advance the adoption of SAF for aviation sustainability.
From 4Q2022, SIA customers will be able to purchase a mix of SAF credits and carbon offsets, as part of the SIA Group Voluntary Carbon Offset Programme. SIA will also partner Climate Impact X (CIX), a global exchange for quality carbon credits, to introduce a bundled portfolio consisting of SAF credits and carbon credits. The product will be designed to meet corporate demand for SAF while balancing affordability.
In the next phase of the pilot, Neste will start SAF production in Singapore in 1Q2023 with one million tonnes of production capacity per annum.
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He then joined the Sheraton Jeddah Hotel in Saudi Arabia as director of F&B in 2012 and subsequently moved to the flagship properties at Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park in Australia and W Bangkok in Thailand.
Hong Kong’s authorities will heed science and temporarily lift the city’s flight suspension mechanism from today, choosing to rely on an extra PCR test for arriving travellers to deter the import of Covid-19 infections.
According to a statement from the government, the move is supported by initial statistics and scientific analysis that showed it is more effective to deter Covid-19 transmission through more frequent nucleic acid testing on arriving passengers than flight bans.
Travellers arriving into Hong Kong from July 8 will have to undergo a PCR test on the third day of their quarantine.
The move also takes into consideration the surge in arrivals as students return home for their summer holidays.
Hong Kong’s flight suspension mechanism has been an unpopular one, as it puts both travellers and airlines in a difficult position. The mechanism punishes an airline with a five-day flight route ban when at least five passengers – or five per cent of travellers, whichever is higher – are tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Hong Kong.
Miramar Travel’s general manager, Alex Lee welcomed the move. He said: “This mechanism not only affected incoming traffic but also appetite of outbound travel as clients are worried about cost and time from having to rebook tickets and secure quarantine hotels if they failed to fly back as scheduled. Therefore, scrapping this mechanism may spur the resumption of flight services and frequency. This is turn will make airfares more affordable.”
Wing Wong, managing director of W Travel, predicts a ramp up in flight capacity following the suspension of the flight ban.
“I expect the first wave of arrivals to comprise students returning from overseas and domestic helpers in next eight weeks, followed by businessmen, travellers here to visit relatives, and holidaymakers. My key concern now is for our supply of quarantine hotels to meet demand,” he added.