Starting in 2027, the government will require all airlines in the country to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as part of efforts to significantly reduce carbon emissions, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Friday.
The joint initiative coincides with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) plan to make its Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) mandatory for 193 member states beginning in 2027. Under CORSIA, airlines that produce carbon emissions exceeding 85 percent of the global average from 2019 will be required to purchase carbon offset permits to balance out the excess emissions. To date, 126 ICAO member countries, including Korea, have opted to voluntarily adhere to this scheme.
Under the planned measure, all national airlines will be required to include at least 1 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in their jet fuels. Given that the country’s aviation industry emitted 20 million tons of carbon in 2023, this requirement is expected to 카지노 reduce emissions by approximately 160,000 tons. According to the industry ministry, this reduction is equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 53,000 vehicles each driving an average of 12,000 kilometers.
To prevent the new requirement from leading to higher airfares due to increased costs, the ministries plan to support airlines with incentives. They will also introduce a new mileage policy designed to encourage greater demand for flights using SAF.
“To retain its position as the global leader in SAF exports and to further enhance its capabilities, Korea must focus on securing a stable supply of sustainable aviation fuel and developing the necessary infrastructure,” Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said at Incheon International Airport, Friday, where officials from the ministries gathered with heads of the country’s nine airlines and five oil refiners to support the measure. Memorandums of understanding for SAF usage in commercial flights were exchanged between the two ministries, airlines and oil refiners, Incheon International Airport Corp. and Korea Airports Corp.