Aside from the pandemic, fuel supply adds to the roster of worldwide problems that each country must face. Thanks to Shell, Lufthansa Group will have an ample supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) between 2024 and 2030.

Lufthansa Group and Shell Signed MoU for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply

Both Lufthansa Group and Shell signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), stating the latter will deliver up to 1.8 million metric tonnes of SAF. The energy firm will supply the aviation company with the said fuel for a period of seven years.

“We are happy to enhance our longstanding global business with Shell by signing this MoU. As an industry, we have to work jointly towards making flying more sustainable and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Shell is very experienced with the global handling of jet fuel and that is one key element for our trust for smooth operations of sustainable aviation fuel too,” said Katja Kleffmann, Lufthansa Group’s fuel management supply head.

European airlines are pretty much occupied signing deals to acquire sustainable aviation fuel during the previous months. These airlines include British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Virgin Atlantic.

According to the Lufthansa Group, they were engaged in SAF enquiry for several years and already had a broad network of partnerships in place. It will help establish the next phase of aviation fuels.

The group includes Austrian Airlines, Swiss Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. Its customers can now fly carbon neutral and record their reduced emissions via audited certificates. Additionally, Lufthansa Group noted that it aims to lessen its net carbon emissions by 50% in 2030 and accomplish 0% by 2050.

British Airways Extends Suspension of Short-Haul Ticket Sales

British Airways extended its suspension regarding the sale of its short-haul tickets from August 8 (originally) to August 15. The unexpected announcement will remove thousands more seats from the sale. This will also increase the price which is already high.

“To help maximise rebooking options for existing customers, we’ve decided to take further responsible action and limit the available fares on some Heathrow services. Short-haul flights departing from Heathrow will now be closed for sale until 15 August 2022 in all channels,” said British Airways in a letter.

The airline’s decision will affect services from Heathrow to domestic and European destinations. It will also affect its services to Morocco and Cairo.

The action occurs after Heathrow placed a daily cap last month on the number of departures during the summer. It also requested airlines cease selling tickets. The cap of 100,000 passengers each day will remain until September 11, 2022.

“As a result of Heathrow’s request to limit new bookings, we’ve decided to take responsible action and limit the available fares on some Heathrow services to help maximise rebooking options for existing customers, given the restrictions imposed on us and the ongoing challenges facing the entire aviation industry,” said a British Airways spokesperson.

British Airways had already agreed on cutting over 10,000 flights between the start of August and the end of October. Currently, the aviation industry strives to manage staff shortages after the pandemic. Amsterdam’s Schiphol, Frankfurt in Germany and other leading European hub airports have also placed caps on flights to maintain operations this summer.

Image Source: Bill Larkins/Wikimedia Commons
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic