As per ESG Today, the new deal is a continuation of a contract signed between the three entities back in 2022, for the delivery of 800.000 tons of SAF over ten years. As aviation regulations become stricter, companies in the sector want to secure as much sustainable fuels as possible, to reduce their negative climate impact. Using SAF, as opposed to kerosene, can reduce lifetime CO2 emissions by anywhere from 75% to 90%.

Air France and KLM currently use SAF for all flights departing from France and the Netherlands, but starting 2025, all Europe-based airports will have to implement clean fuels in all flights, according to European legislation. At first, the demanded share of SAF is 2%, but it will climb to 75% by mid-century.

Air France-KLM pledged to cut per-passenger emissions/km by 30% before 2030, on a 2019 basis.

Benjamin Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM Group, said that "securing the volumes of more sustainable aviation fuel needed to decarbonize our activity is a major challenge. This agreement with TotalEnergies is a further step in this direction, and a testament to our long-standing support for the development of SAF production in France and Europe."

The SAF that TotalEnergies will supply to the two European airline companies will be manufactured from waste and residues obtained from circular economy practices and will be produced regionally, in TotalEnergies' European facilities. The company expects to be able to scale-up SAF production to 500.000 tons by 2028, as well as 1.5 million tons per year by the end of this decade.