Emirates Joins German Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy
Emirates has become the first international airline to join aireg, the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany. The official signing ceremony took place at ILA Berlin 2024, highlighting Emirates' dedication to enhancing the sustainability of its operations and supporting the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This partnership aims to boost the production of locally sourced SAF in Germany, aligning with several SAF-related initiatives Emirates has recently launched.
The agreement was signed in Berlin by Volker Greiner, Emirates Vice President for North & Central Europe, and Siegfried Knecht, Chairman of the Executive Board of aireg. Dr. Anna Christmann, Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy, also attended the ceremony.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership: “We’re very pleased to become a member of aireg, and contribute to Germany’s efforts to build its capacities to become a center for SAF production. Our industry requires large quantities of sustainable aviation fuel at a commercially viable cost, yet the shortage persists. Ramping up and furthering technologies for the production of SAF requires the partnership and support from multiple stakeholders, and we are confident that aireg will lead in this regard.”
Siegfried Knecht, Chairman of the Executive Board of aireg, welcomed the collaboration: "I am equally humbled and proud to welcome a leader in global aviation into our membership. We need all hands on deck—airlines, airports, OEMs, producers, suppliers, RTOs, startups, and of course, politics—to get us well on track towards net-zero by 2050.”
Germany is a key market for Emirates, which has been operating in German skies since 1987. The airline is committed to supporting aireg's mission of increasing the production and use of regenerative aviation fuels in Germany.
Emirates currently operates flights using SAF from Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Paris, Lyon, Oslo, and Singapore. Last year, the airline partnered with Shell Aviation to introduce SAF into Dubai Airport's fueling systems for the first time, allocating the fuel to various flights.
As the world's largest operator of A380 aircraft, Emirates returned to ILA Berlin for the seventh consecutive time. The Emirates A380 was on static display for all five days of the airshow, underscoring the carrier’s commitment to the EU’s premier aerospace event. The flight from Berlin to Dubai on Monday will use blended fuel containing SAF, reinforcing Emirates' proactive efforts to reduce carbon emissions at ILA Berlin 2024.
