DHL Group has solidified its commitment to sustainable aviation by extending its partnership with IAG Cargo for another five years. This enhanced agreement, which includes a renewal in 2025, will facilitate the utilization of approximately 240 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at London Heathrow Airport. This initiative is set to significantly reduce emissions for air freight operations on British Airways flights carrying DHL Express cargo.

Emissions Reduction and SAF Volume

Through this new agreement, DHL Express will achieve annual emissions reductions equivalent to the use of around 40 million liters of SAF. When combined with the existing contract, this expansion is projected to cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 640,000 tonnes of CO2e. The SAF employed is certified and derived from sustainable sources, such as used cooking oil, offering a lifecycle emissions reduction of up to 90% compared to conventional jet fuel.

Broader Group Collaboration

The partnership also encompasses a framework agreement between DHL Global Forwarding and IAG Cargo, underscoring a comprehensive strategy to ensure dependable access to sustainable fuels. This expanded collaboration has the potential to drive total emissions reductions across the DHL Group beyond 1 million tonnes of CO2e, thereby strengthening DHL’s capacity to meet the escalating demand for low-emission logistics solutions.

Supporting Long-Term Sustainability Goals

Both DHL Group and IAG Cargo emphasized that this partnership highlights the critical role of collaboration in scaling the adoption of SAF. As customers increasingly seek sustainable transportation solutions, securing stable access to SAF is becoming paramount. This agreement directly supports DHL’s ambitious target of achieving 30% SAF usage in its air transport operations by 2030 and reinforces its strategic objective of delivering consistent, lower-emission logistics services across all its divisions.

While SAF currently remains more costly and limited in supply compared to traditional jet fuel, agreements of this nature are instrumental in accelerating its adoption and advancing the transition to a more sustainable aviation sector.

DHL and IAG Cargo expand SAF partnership with new 5-year deal