The world's largest manufacturer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Neste, and Cebu Pacific (CEB) have signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore the supply and procurement of sustainable aviation fuel in the Asia-Pacific region.

In contrast to using conventional jet fuel, SAF has the potential to significantly cut carbon emissions from air travel by up to 80 percent over the fuel's life cycle, CEB said. SAF is an alternative fuel derived from sustainable feedstocks.

CEB Strategy Officer Chief Alex Reyes said that carbon emissions are a pressing concern in the aviation industry. To this end, Cebu Pacific has laid out initiatives to address their emissions footprint, with a primary focus on integrating SAF into its operations. This will consequently minimize the environmental impact generated by their flights.

The partnership between CEB and Neste is a testament to the company's unwavering dedication to reducing its environmental footprint and offering more environmentally friendly travel options for its clients. The long-term aspirational objective of the global aviation sector is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and this project supports that goal.

"Sustainable aviation fuel is a readily available solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from air travel. We are proud that we are going to support Cebu Pacific's commitment to reduce their environmental impact by using our Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel, and we look forward to building cooperation with CEB in the future," said Sami Jauhiainen, acting executive vice president of the renewable aviation business unit at Neste.

On a journey from Singapore to Manila in September 2022, CEB conducted its inaugural passenger flight using blended SAF. With this accomplishment, CEB became the first low-cost airline in Southeast Asia and the first Philippine airline to use SAF in its regular operations.

On the strength of this achievement, the airline has revealed a second forthcoming SAF-powered commercial flight from Narita (Tokyo) to Manila on 25 October 2023.

CEB aims to transition to an all-NEO fleet by 2028 and will incorporate the use of blended SAF for its entire commercial network by 2030.