Japan Airlines Buys Carbon Removal Credits from Climeworks in Aviation Industry First

Japan Airlines has signed a purchase agreement with Climeworks for carbon dioxide removal credits, marking what the companies call the first such deal in aviation. The credits come from Climeworks' direct air capture facility, Mammoth, and are intended to offset emissions that are hard to cut through other means. Direct air capture extracts CO2 from the atmosphere, and the credits are part of JAL's sustainability strategy alongside sustainable aviation fuels and efficiency gains. The agreement signals growing airline demand for high-quality removal credits, though the technology remains energy-intensive and costly. The purchase raises questions about verification, permanence, and the power source for DAC plants. If other airlines follow, it could help scale direct air capture and bring down costs, but the sector needs clear accounting standards to ensure these credits deliver real climate benefit.