Japan Airlines has operated its first passenger flight using commercialised domestic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), marking the launch of a SAF supply chain in Japan for passenger flights.

The flight departed Kansai International Airport in Osaka bound for Shanghai Pudong International Airport in China, a flight of approximately two hours and 45 minutes’ duration or 1,300km.

It was supplied by SAF mass-produced by Saffaire Sky Energy following the company’s acquisition of the ISCC CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) Certification, a sustainability credential for the aviation industry. Saffaire Sky Energy aims for an annual SAF production in Japan of around 30,000 kilolitres.

The development has been welcomed by Japan’s aviation industry, which is working towards net-zero emissions from international flights by 2050, the goal set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The country’s first large-scale SAF production facility was completed in December 2024 and stable domestic production and supply of SAF began in April.

Efforts to develop SAF in Japan are part of the Fry to Fly Project, an initiative supported by 300 companies, local governments and organisations to boost the collection of waste cooking oil from households and businesses so it can be transformed into SAF.

According to Japan Airlines, the flight “marks a significant milestone” as “the implementation of a supply chain that enables the continuous production and supply of SAF in Japan plays a crucial role in reducing CO2 emissions”.