Taiwan’s three major airports have partnered with the country’s three national airlines to initiate a new era of sustainable aviation. In a ceremony held at Kaohsiung International Airport on Wednesday, the Transportation Ministry, alongside China Airlines, EVA Air, and STARLUX Airlines, officially launched the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) across Taiwan’s aviation sector.
Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) led the event, which connected Taoyuan International Airport with Songshan Airport, symbolizing Taiwan's commitment to international sustainability standards. The initiative also involves Taiwan's two major fuel suppliers, CPC Corporation and Formosa Petrochemical Corporation, who will provide the sustainable fuel. Currently, Taiwan has secured 5,900 tonnes of SAF—400 tonnes imported by CPC and 5,500 tonnes produced by Formosa Petrochemical.
According to Civil Aeronautics Administration Director Ho Shu-ping (何淑萍), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has set a target of 5% SAF usage by 2030. For Taiwan's airports, which consumed 3 million tonnes of aviation fuel last year, this would require 150,000 tonnes of SAF. Formosa Petrochemical's President Lin Ke-yan (林克彥) stated that the company aims to improve production processes to reach an annual SAF output of 50,000 tonnes by 2027, while CPC plans to begin domestic SAF production by the third quarter of next year.
The implementation of SAF is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 15,000 tonnes this year alone. China Airlines President Kao Shing-hwang (高星潢) mentioned that flights to Europe will be prioritized for SAF usage, with hopes that increased production will eventually lead to lower prices for this environmentally friendly alternative.